


Cooked with Love!

by kiwikakumei



Series: Cooked with Love! [1]
Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Canon-Typical Violence, Cussing, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Male Master Attendant (Food Fantasy), Original Character(s), Platonic Relationships, reylen voice except coffee he's kind of my Fix, reylen voice these food souls are my KIDS please be nice to them, someone tell yellow wine to soap his entire mouth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-07-02 22:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 91,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15805803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwikakumei/pseuds/kiwikakumei
Summary: A collection of stories following Master Attendant Reylen and his growing family of Food Souls.





	1. Sparring Partner (Tom Yum)

_"A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe" - Thomas Keller_

The first time Reylen tries to summon a Food Soul, he’s blown away by the sheer force of the process, both figuratively and literally. That, and the first Food Soul he was able to summon was also a bundle of power to begin with.

When the dust cleared from the summoning grounds, a short young boy sporting purple, spiky locks and red kickboxing attire stepped forward from the summoning circle. He gave Reylen a bright, toothy grin, holding his fist up as a greeting.

“Are you my Master Attendant?! From now on, I will protect you!”

Reylen gave a small nod, still too shocked to comprehend just what was happening here. He would later find out it would take him a little while yet to get used to more of the summonings he had yet to partake in.

\--

  
The second work day of the restaurant wore on as Reylen instructed Hawthorne Ball and Sandwich about their closing duties. His newfound establishment was humble to say at best but he felt empowered to accomplish more than just a ‘small cornerstone luncheon cafe.’ His hard work will be earned as he always told himself. Once the two Food Souls got to departing into the kitchen, Reylen felt a small bump on the side of his hip. He turned towards the source: a disgruntled Tom Yum. The Master Attendant felt one eyebrow raise. “Something the matter?”

The shorter boy gave a huff. “I don’t wanna impose or anything but…” Suddenly, Tom Yum clapped his hands together as if in prayer, scrunching his eyes closed.

“Please! Be my training partner!”

A moment passed as Reylen stared at the other smaller male, blinking slowly as if to register the silly request bit by bit in his head. He finally replied with an exasperated, “Huh?”

Tom Yum started to tug on Reylen’s sleeve. “Come on! Other than Miss Black Tea and Miss Milk who are, no offense, way too strong for me to spar with, I had hoped that like, y’know, maaaaybe I can spar with you!”

The taller Master Attendant felt his eyebrow twitch and he brought a hand over his temple. “You saying I’m weaker than those two that you gotta start fighting me, or--?”

Tom Yum gulped and shook his head vigorously. “No! Not at all! The fact that you were able to summon me was strong enough!!” His gloved hands tugged on Reylen’s uniform sleeve once more, his head rubbing against the older man’s arm. “Please?” Tom Yum’s voice was a pleading whine at this point.

Reylen gave a defeated sigh, leafing a hand through his slate locks. This was his very first Food Soul to be successfully summoned after all. He had been taught since he was younger to be courteous and kind to all Food Souls that he would deal contracts to. Food Souls were born with scattered memories of a past life they had previously lived and a basic understanding of their world and emotions. Reylen had made it a goal not too long ago to help the ones who he would meet, and to help embrace their existences alongside living with him. Tom Yum was no exception. At the least….Reylen should give the boy some form of attention.

“Fine. But we’ll have to train tomorrow evening, since we gotta close shop. I’m bushed from today’s work so if you help with clearing some dishes then--,” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence when Tom Yum whooped and gave a sharp punch against Reylen’s arm.

“YES! Thank you! You won’t regret it!!” He raced off into the kitchen as Reylen cringed, now nursing a sore arm (which unfortunately was the one he dominantly used for cooking).

Maybe he was going to regret these training sessions after all.

\--

 

The next evening, Reylen had entrusted Black Tea to close the restaurant and he went to meet up with Tom Yum in the backyard, located just behind his workplace. It wasn’t that big of a property that he owned; he had a respectfully large restaurant located on the bottom floor while the upstairs suites were dedicated to his living quarters, and now a shared unit for his Food Souls. The backyard still needed some tending to (the grass needed a thorough cut, he had yet to organize some planters for some vegetables, and even get the building materials for special boxes for his future herb gardens). It was here that a small concrete lot was also just, sort of existing and it was here that Reylen decided to train Tom Yum.

The Master Attendant had dragged out two big sacks of flour from the nearby storage shed while his right hand sported an old baseball mitt. Tom Yum glanced at the taller male with sparkling, hopeful eyes and then turned to practice some jabs and the occasional roundhouse kick. As Reylen got set up, he gave a few glances back towards the Food Soul, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet and shooting a few jabs into the air. Reylen had little to no idea about fighting aside from theory he had read, and the sight of Tom Yum was making him a bit apprehensive.

Food Souls were a completely different range of strength and Reylen….wasn’t so sure that he’d like to nurse more than that one bruise he had received the other day. Yet here he was, finally standing behind one sack of flour that reached his waist. He propped the sack, now nodding towards Tom Yum. “Alright, you ready?”

He wasn’t expecting Tom Yum’s face and stance to suddenly falter. Reylen also relaxed, now giving the smaller male a confused look. “Um. Master Attendant? Don’t you need that for, y’know, supplies?” Tom Yum’s ruby eyes glanced downwards at the flour bag, Reylen following suit.

He did kind of need this bag. Both of them, actually. Reylen would probably need these bags before this week’s next shipment came about, which wouldn’t happen until a few more days. He’d have to use whatever supplies he had now and since the Master Attendant was only just starting out, using food reserves for punching bags wasn’t a sound choice at the moment.

Plus, the ebbing fear of Tom Yum exploding the bag with one of those strong punches he had seen a minute ago wasn’t going to leave Reylen’s mind anytime soon.

“Err, yeah. Let’s move on to the mitt.” The taller male pulled the flour bag away, then went to stand in front of Tom Yum, holding the mitt in front of his body, his internal fears increasing tenfold. Tom Yum, meanwhile, tightened the strings on his bright red gloves and got back into stance, his bare feet digging into the hard concrete.

“Okay, let’s just focus on hitting this,” Reylen instructed. “Hands up.”

Tom Yum did as he was told and in an instant, his gaze snapped back into that sharp fighter’s intent that chilled Reylen to the bone.

“Alright, on my count, one--”

Before Reylen could countdown as he had intended, Tom Yum threw a volley of lightning flash jabs into the mitt’s weathered surface. Reylen had to keep his footing steady to keep himself upright amidst the smaller boy’s punching storm. But after a few minutes of nonstop punching and Tom Yum’s battle cries, Reylen was beginning to feel numb holding the mitt up.

“Tom Yum, hey! Stop!!”

Reylen couldn’t take another minute of having his one side being pummeled like this. At his command, Tom Yum retracted his attacks. He stepped backward, giving a curious look towards Reylen and a now smoking mitt.

“Whoa! Master Attendant, you really kept it up!” Tom Yum exclaimed, wiping his brow and grinned. “I knew you were strong enough to train me!”  
Reylen caught his breath, looking back at the Food Soul who propped his hands atop his hips, a wide smile at a job well done. Even with such a sad attempt to stay grounded...Tom Yum believed in Reylen’s ability to keep him focused. If it made his newfound comrade happy, he could sustain the strength to keep doing this sort of thing.

That felt like a nice accomplishment in itself.

The taller male gave a small smirk back, propping the mitt right back into position. “Alright, kiddo. You ready for round 2?”

Tom Yum perked up, regaining the same stance in renewed confidence. “Hell yeah I am!! Let’s go!”

\--  
_One More Bite:_

Black Tea raised an eyebrow as Tom Yum ran past her towards the baths and Reylen slouched behind, favoring one side of his body.

“Are you quite alright, Master Attendant?” she inquired with a worried look.

“Yeah. Training with Tom Yum was worth it, but I kinda…need to get this arm looked at. Could you call Milk? I can’t feel my fingers.”


	2. Coffee Break (Coffee)

_"Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh_

 

The work days were growing more constant and strenuous. Reylen was doing more juggling now more than ever, from developing new recipes from his preferred region of choice, Light Kingdom, to managing the new Food Souls he recruited both as battle allies and staff for his restaurant. On top of managing his own business, he took daily part in dispelling any Fallen Angel threats that occurred around town.

Needless to say, he had a lot on his already burdened plate.

Reylen was grateful for the other Food Souls he had come to befriend in such a short time. From Crepe’s dainty, elegant presence while serving customers to Ume Ochazuke’s calm-amidst-the-storm persona when manning the kitchen, he felt satisfied knowing he can rely on their hardworking dedication. He did express remorse after feeling he may be overworking them on what they could consider cooking as ‘meager human tasks.’ But they were reliable all the same.

One particular Food Soul that Reylen had obtained a while back--Coffee--was still a work in progress. Coffee presented a professional, businessman-like persona, whose experience operated throughout his words and actions. It was both alluring and dangerously intimidating. It almost _scared_ Reylen with over how much control Coffee had whenever he partook in even simple conversation.

Reylen had to admit, he had a small inkling of what he’d call ‘jealousy.’ Compared to Coffee, Reylen’s view of the world looked far more obscure, small. He presumed Coffee had seen the bitterness of the world from its conception and is only keeping such a secret to himself with such a sharp, devilish smile. He could have an interesting backstory underneath that entertaining guise...but he was much too charismatic to reveal such information so easily. For some childish reason...this irked Reylen a little.

Embarrassing, to say the least.

Reylen decided the register would be Coffee’s spot of expertise, and Coffee excelled in this position that he was becoming a staple to see to Reylen’s regulars. The blond man snuck in knowing smiles and glances to blushing village girls and embarrassed farmer men, even giving subtle flirting banter to keep them captured. It brought transactions in, but made Reylen’s internal struggle to keep Coffee’s behavior in place more difficult. It _was_ kinda his fault for placing the Food Soul in such a social spot, but a part of Reylen was fighting over the fact that Coffee was _good_ there.

He wondered if Coffee and him would ever see eye to eye, to be able to be understood. It was one of his goals after all, to understand every Food Soul. It just so happened that this particular one was...insufferable, overall. For now, Reylen kept a distance from the Food Soul, unsure of what to do, or even start with Coffee.

It finally came to a standstill one day, and one that both Coffee and Reylen didn’t expect.

 --

The vermilion rays of the sunset reflected against the restaurant’s walls, devoid of customer chatter and now filled with dishes being washed and put away. Reylen, stuck at front, was beginning to clean off the excess crumbs from the bakery goods display case, when Coffee strode up beside the shorter male. The blond male tossed a dirtied napkin into a nearby pink polka dot trash bin, confident in such a small accomplishment. Reylen mentally noted Coffee’s sharpshooting and begrudgingly focused on his work. Stupid…hotshot...

“Master Attendant, you have a moment?” Coffee’s smooth voice filled Reylen’s ears, causing the latter to use self-restraint to stop the impulsive shiver that went down his spine.

“Y-Yeah, Coffee? What’s up?” Keep it cool, it’s just Coffee, Reylen reminded himself. Unendurable, distressing, Coffee. Like his namesake, the Master Attendant was feeling a tremor go through his entire body. He didn’t even _drink_ the stuff daily!

The Food Soul leaned against the countertop of the display case, resting his cheek in his hand, his eyes gazing at Reylen inquisitively behind his shades. “I was just wondering, how much rest are you getting these days?”

Reylen blinked. A weird curveball of a question. He had only just started with his business and rest wasn’t an important thing to dwell on his mind. Perhaps it’s just become habit, a lifelong one. “Rest? I just started out and I can’t really do that when I want to keep my business afloat, you know?” He finished sweeping off a dusting of rainbow sprinkles, closing the case shut.

Coffee gave a small hum, almost disappointingly. “That’s not good planning on your part,” he said in a haughty tone.

Reylen shot Coffee a frown. “What? It’s true! I need to make sure I don’t go bust in my first months.” The paranoia of that was enough that it haunted Reylen at night. A miniscule voice in the back of his head was repeatedly accusing Reylen that it could be one of the reasons why he wasn’t getting rest in the first place.

Without warning, Coffee brought a hand over Reylen’s which rested atop the display case. His eyes were an unreadable expression that Reylen had never seen before; it felt more softened. It caused a small pang in Reylen’s chest. “Have you seen yourself lately, Master Attendant? Your eye bags are thicker than Miss Hawthorne Ball’s rendition of sauteed mushrooms. Don’t think I didn’t notice you almost spilling over those drinks at lunch today.”

The slate haired man gaped, looking away in embarrassment. Usually he didn’t give a shit when he made mistakes (and he was very thorough, he’d like to admit), and yet, with Coffee staring him down with such a trapping intensity, Reylen couldn't help the wave of shame wash over him. “F-Fine, I admit, maybe 5 hours of sleep isn’t enough for the next person,” Reylen muttered as he moved his hand away from Coffee’s and folding his arms. “But I gotta keep up. I have a reputation to keep, you know.”

Coffee gave a snort. “No, I _don’t_ know, Master Attendant.”

Reylen felt his lips turn into an uncharacteristic side pout, his eyes looking away from the blond’s. He’s about ready to tell the Food Soul to book in so he can clean tiredly in peace; he wasn’t getting nowhere with Coffee’s pesterings. But Coffee’s ever so subtle voice broke his thoughts yet again. “Maybe if you let me do other things, like assist you with preparing food or managing some cleaning duties, then that’s picking up the slack.”

The shorter male shook his head. “No, it’s okay! It’s fine. I don’t want you overworking either.” It would be fine if Reylen was the one being burnt out, but the guilt of having a Food Soul becoming tired by _his_ work would plague him.

Coffee leaned further against the countertop, their foreheads touching. Reylen could feel the cold frame of Coffee’s glasses graze the bridge of his nose. His eyes met Coffee’s, which still held the same unreadable expression.

“Then perhaps you need a...different kind of pick-me-up?”

Reylen could see Coffee’s bright blue eyes glint with a mischievousness that Reylen recognized from Coffee’s impromptu banter with their customers...only this time, it felt more exclusive to just them. Reylen never considered himself possessive and yet, at this moment, for one triumph he can take for all his own...Without registering his own actions, the shorter male slowly leaned in, his lips pressing softly against Coffee’s, overworked chapped against smooth, plush velvet. Reylen tasted a hint of musk and the bittersweet aroma of the Food Soul’s namesake. A wave of familiarity washed over the Master Attendant; as a young teenager, he used to drink the beverage as a way to wake up, to regain lost energy. He was very dependent on the stuff. This very moment, he felt that same nostalgic energy come in a passion he had missed for so long. He was just as quick to pull away and Reylen could feel his cheeks heating up. His vision went back into focus and found that Coffee’s eyes had widened to an astonishing degree behind his shades. From within Reylen, a newfound feeling of accomplishment had bubbled through, evidence of that being a shy smile on the Master Attendant’s face.

“Yeah. Good pick-me-up. If that’s fine with you,” Reylen whispered, shaky with a quiet confidence he hadn’t heard himself use before.

Coffee straightened himself from his slouched position, touching his lips with a newfound curiosity and eyes darting from the ground and to Reylen’s pink face. Reylen had never seen this man with such a shaky confidence before; it was almost refreshing. Finally, he motioned to Reylen with a beckoning nod of his head, although Reylen was noticing a faint flare of doubt in Coffee’s actions (which made that bubble of morale in Reylen grow even more).

“...Only a sip? Might I drink you up a bit more? You should make this _Coffee Break_ worth it.”

Reylen felt his ears burn up, taking a few rushed steps away from the counter to once again close the gap between him and Coffee. Hesitation has now gone out of the window at this point.

Perhaps breaks with Coffee was the one reprieve Reylen needed all this time.

\--

_Leftovers_

“Ume Ochazuke! Is Master Attendant done with the front yet? I wanna head in now!” Long Bao complained from his place at the sink.

The brunette brought her head quickly away from the peekhole overlooking the restaurant, and from the new scene still developing in front of her. “Oh, we may need to give Master Attendant and Coffee more time. They’re winding down, after all.”

“But I’m _tiiiiiiired!!”_

  
“Yes, yes, I know.” Her serene smile only reflected her patience and now a newfound pride that her Master Attendant had found _some_ sort of relaxation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ume, a few minutes later: y'all better wrap it up, we got kids to tuck in  
> \--  
> That one Coffee and Chocolate official art was the reason why I got into this wok of hell. This certain chapter was a personal dessert for me to uh, savour? Yeah. It's savoury. Hope it was savoury for you guys too. 
> 
> And thank you for the tremendous support for my first chapter! It really means a lot to me. I can't wait to give more!!
> 
> Next chapter is gonna be about...mountains? Sure.


	3. Dragon's Beard (Jiuniang)

_"Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate" - Alan D. Wolfelt_

 

A loud smash emitted throughout the restaurant. All eyes turned towards the source; a young girl, clad in a snow white hood and a short pink Chinese dress, had spilled a full plate of egg fried rice.

“Hey, are things alright Jiuniang?” Reylen had rushed over from his place in the kitchen, while Yellow Wine and Sandwich scrambled away from the front counter to sweep up the mess. The young Food Soul in question, stood in a frozen state, her legs and shoulders trembling. Yellow Wine, usually not used to being close to anyone else, knelt over beside Jiuniang, careful to avoid plate shards and rice crumbles. He gave a grin, trying to lighten the situation. “Oiiii, it’s fine, we’ll just cook up a new one.”

Reylen nodded, taking the younger girl’s other side. “Yeah, we got a little bit left in the kitchen, it’ll be ok--” The Master Attendant tried to place a hand on the girl’s shoulder to comfort her but didn’t expect Jiuniang to make a sprint towards the front entrance doors.

“Shit! I told her if she made a mistake, its fi-- _SHIT!”_ Yellow Wine scrambled to get up but stepped on some leftover rice, slipping backwards. Sandwich had caught him just in time, but both fell into the mess. Reylen gave an annoyed look towards the two, then undid his white apron, covering the mess to prevent further slippings.

“You two! Just....clean this up. I’ll be back.” The Master Attendant made his way out, while Yellow Wine struggled to shout back from his place on the floor.

“Master Attendant! Bring her back safe and sound, you hear?!” The ponytailed man winced as he sat up, looking over at a rice-covered Sandwich’s face who was seething.

\--

The streets were busy with merchants and villagers alike. Reylen knew most of them just by looking; he could tell his own business was starting to become a namesake to these folks. It was all thanks to him and his beloved Food Souls’s tireless work.

Jiuniang was no exception. Since summoning her, she was shy from the get-go and Reylen had trouble giving her tasks to do. Yellow Wine had been summoned immediately afterwards and thankfully was one of Jiuniang’s most trusted companions, learning to slowly speak through him. Reylen decided to assign her to waitress work, which she excelled at despite her shyness, and was often noted as a ‘cute asset’ to the restaurant by the other Food Souls. Reylen still felt as though Jiuniang was still too distant, both to himself and his colleagues (asides from Yellow Wine). Now that this unexpected mishap happened, he felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. It was one of his goals to try to understand every Food Soul he came into contact with. Having one bolt out of his workplace--and to who knows where--had already made a huge dent to his self-esteem.

“Jiuniang! Hey, Jiuniang!! Where’d you go?”

He was shouting amidst crowds, asking random passerbys about her whereabouts. A few had seen her white hood race towards one of the nearby hills where some sheeps herded. Reylen picked up the pace once he got the directions.

He really didn’t want his already dwindling relationship with Jiuniang fade before he could rekindle it.

\--

Reylen found Jiuniang huddled under one of the maple leaf trees overlooking the town. He approached slowly, taking a seat just a few feet away. Slow and steady will gain her trust, he thought. “Hey. Been looking for you.”

The young girl gently looked up from her folded arms, her pink eyes and cheeks looking scrubbed raw. Reylen’s heart sank but he inched closer, his voice calm, a far cry from his demanding ordering voice in the kitchen.

“You...doing ok?”

Jiuniang’s lip quivered as she hid in her arms again. Reylen was once told by Yellow Wine hat her actions spoke much louder than her words and Reylen had to make sure patience and understanding was well met here. He couldn’t just wrap this up with a ‘it's-gonna-be-okay’ bandaid and they walk back on home. He needed to earn her trust first.

His dark eyes turned towards the hill overlapping the landscape. The far off mountains that looked on Hilena’s west side were capped off with pristine white snow while the valleys showed patches of greens, yellows and the occasional splash of orange, the echoes of summer fading into the cooler autumn that was to arrive. The town, only just a few miles below, was a mix of crisp brown buildings and scattered occupants that looked like bread crumbs. The rustles of windswept grass was embraced with the seldom sounds of sheep braying. “It’s nice out, isn’t it?” Reylen quietly said. Maybe the weather might be a good way to start fresh? Coffee had taught him a few times that it never failed as a way to break the ice. Hopefully if she listened, it would be. Her shaky voice cracked open the lull of silence, peering again from the safety of her arms. “Y-Yes.”

Reylen gave a small tender smile towards her. He pointed a finger towards the mountains, making sure her bright pink eyes followed. “See those mountains? They kinda look like a mont blanc, don’t you think?” Jiuniang gave a small nod, then a tilt of the head. Reylen mentally beat himself up--she wouldn’t know what a mont blanc was as it was completely foreign to her. It did seem that it caught her attention so, he thought of another dessert. “Err...like ice cream?”

The young girl still had a blank expression. Reylen silently recapped about the vast recipes he had developed in the past few months, up to his most recent ones concerning Light Kingdom, and finally realized…

Familiarity would be his friend here.

“...How about tapioca pudding?”

Jiuniang’s reaction was slow but effective: she had a small, shy smile inch forth on her face and she nodded. “Yeah.” Reylen gave a small grin back, now pointing towards the sheep down the hill. “How about those guys? What do they remind you of?”

The smaller girl pursed her lips in a questioning frown, shrugging. “Um…” Reylen mirrored the same shrug, putting a hand under his chin to show him in mock deep thought (though he was half-joking, half actually trying to figure out a good metaphor to use amidst the various foods he learned about). “Dragon’s beard, maybe? Err, maybe the clouds could be that, actually...” That earned a bashful giggle from the hooded Food Soul. Reylen laughed alongside her and without realizing it, she had scooted closer to his side. He pointed towards more landmarks that laid in front of them, eager to transform those visions into recognizable food, to help make her forget the now minuscule blunder a few moments ago and to instead remind her of home.

In a sense, he felt nostalgic just sitting alongside her, relaxing, and letting the day pass. As a child, he remembered watching the clouds pass by, their cotton candy exterior floating carelessly in a sea of blue soda, he remembered. And now he could help her hold a special memory in a similar sense. This was worth the run across town.

Especially after finally seeing Jiuniang’s smile.

\--

Yellow Wine scanned the uphill street beside the restaurant, his anxiety rising. Afternoon had come and gone since Reylen pursued Jiuniang, and it was already closing time. Where could they have gone?

As soon as he saw the pair appear from the crest of the hill (hand in hand, no less!), his anxiety was gone in an instant. Jiuniang pulled Reylen along, skidding to a stop in front of Yellow Wine. The smaller girl caught her breath, then bowed down. “I-I’m sorry!” She brought her head back up, and Yellow Wine gave a huff, picking the girl up in his arms, tenderly hugging her.

“Don’t run off like that! You worried us sick! You worried _ME_ sick!” He squeezed her tightly as Jiuniang buried her face into his shoulder.

Reylen gave a sheepish smile towards the other male. “Sorry, we got caught up looking for some...food ideas.”

Yellow Wine turned to the Master Attendant, shook his head while smiling. “All good.” He placed Jiuniang down and she immediately went between the two males, holding hands in hers. Her voice was shaking so much, Reylen had thought her grip on his hands were going to crumble.

“B-Big Brother Yellow! Big Brother Reylen! L-Let’s go home!”

Yellow Wine shot Reylen a surprised look over the latter’s title, while Reylen laughed as the three made their way inside the restaurant.

\--

_Thanks for the Meal!_

Hawthorne Ball snorted while Milk picked one more plate shard out of Sandwich’s cheek, earning a yelp from the blond boy. Thank goodness the restaurant was finally closed; customers would have been subject to Sandwich's previous cries for mercy.

“So do I call you Pilaf Face next? Ha ha!” Hawthorne was having a field day, holding her stomach from laughing too hard.

“Shut UP, Hawthorne!!”

“When I’m done, could you bring Yellow Wine in as well. He wasn’t properly tended to,” Milk bluntly interjected, removing another shard and mentally wincing from another Sandwich yowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya boy has no clue about Chinese desserts, everyone say thank you wiki
> 
> I really wanted to write Jiuniang for this segment and this came up in an instant. She's a shy one but I still wanted to show her off. When the new JPN voice pack was downloadable and she was heard for the first time, I melted...Also pottymouth Yellow Wine being a big bro figure to her is absolutely endearing! I wanna delve into more of that in a future chapter as well.
> 
> Anyways! Thank you for the support. Next chapter will be my first hand on a small battle. I will try to do it as elegantly as possible, as elegantly as our next batch of stars for the next episode!


	4. Frozen Over (Foie Gras)

_"Laughter is brightest in the place where the food is." - Irish Proverb_

 

The whole building shook with an even stronger magnitude than usual as a particular summoning was taking place. Reylen had been knocked off his feet and when he struggled to get up, he was, to put it bluntly, scared _shitless_ over who he had summoned forth.

Whoever it was, anyway. At this point, everything scared Reylen.

He finally mustered the courage to look up and he was greeted to a gentle blue aura, feathers floating about the grounds. A delicate & graceful woman wielding a staff and a ballerina-styled dress hovered in place, her solemn gaze befalling Reylen’s. “Ah...it was at this very moment that we meet…” Her voice could only be described as the first snowfall of the year: Cold, yet welcoming all the same.

Reylen was to be forever enchanted by such an encounter.

\--

It was their first expedition out in a new part of the Secret Forest and Reylen was now regretting not bringing extra provisions. And they were so far from home too…! His teammates--Black Tea, Napoleon Cake, Coffee, Milk and now Foie Gras--were formidable but he still had that worried feeling in his gut. He was pessimistic about whether his team can take one more Uke Mochi attack before wiping them out.

Ugh, he really should have stayed at the restaurant today.

Unfortunately, his anxiety was muddled with his stupid stubborness to keep going. Reylen motioned for the five to venture forth into more farmland. Napoleon Cake and Black Tea took the front with their wariness being their first weapon, Reylen and Coffee took the middle while Foie Gras and Milk were in the rear.

Their surroundings, though peaceful, could spark up danger at any given moment. Reylen, naturally paranoid, moved closer to Coffee’s side who in turn gave a rare, comforting smile. “Master Attendant, you think this may be the last area to survey before we can head home?” Coffee’s voice soothed the shorter male. Reylen had now gotten used to his proximity in what he’d probably call ‘intimacy’, if he wasn’t still so shy about it.

“Yeah. Getting kinda tired.” Reylen rubbed down his face in exhaustion, mirroring a smile back towards his blond companion. The anxiety was getting into his very bones. Black Tea had looked back, concern painting her usually elegant features.

“We have been out here for...4 or so hours,” Milk said bluntly, catching up to the pair of men. Foie Gras drifted just a few feet away, her expression wooden, but it seemed to crack a tiny bit when Reylen turned abruptly towards Milk.

“What?!” Reylen sputtered. Perhaps his dumb confidence really got to him today. They were done here. “That’s way too long to be out here! Okay, sorry guys, you know what? Maybe we really do need to head back--”

“Guys! We’ve got ourselves another Fallen!” Napoleon Cake shouted, readying his rifle as the faint figure of an Uke Mochi--an Enhanced one--was charging straight towards them. Coffee motioned for Reylen to take cover behind them as the five got into their battle formation. Reylen gave a swift apology and ran past Milk and Foie Gras. As soon as he passed the dignified latter, he had picked up her curt reply:

“Don’t apologize. This is our fate.”

Reylen felt his anxiety do somersaulting knots in his stomach once he found shelter behind a tree. He looked towards the five, anguish displaying on his face.

Was it really fate to put his Food Souls into danger like this…?

\--

It was now down to two.

Napoleon Cake was dragging a critically damaged Black Tea under his arm while Coffee limped towards Reylen, shooting a sheepish smile towards Milk who was still in the process of healing Foie Gras’s wounds.

“This...looks really bad,” Reylen muttered, taking Coffee by his side and now looking at his last two fighting allies with great disbelief.

“ _Oui,_ no _SHIT_ , Master Attendant!’ Napoleon Cake replied with an uncharacteristic scoff. He placed Black Tea against the tree trunk, letting her rest. She was breathing ragged as her half-opened eyes stared sadly at Reylen, as if silently apologizing for her performance. Reylen knelt beside his fallen comrade, placing a hand over Black Tea’s that lay limp at her side. “You did well out there.”

Napoleon Cake adjusted his ruined hat that had slipped past his eyes, wincing as he stood beside Reylen while holding his shoulder in place and glaring at the cruel scene in front of them. “At this point, those two will be sauteed!”

“Or...frozen,” Coffee breathed and Reylen had followed the former’s eyes to Milk’s feet, that were now beginning to freeze over.

Olivia, one of Reylen’s superiors, had warned him of certain scenic hazards that could go beyond the usual control of battle. Reylen had to pay extra attention to those; some even required his own labour to deal away with them in order to assist his Food Souls in a successful victory. He had only studied about environmental hazards in his texts, and didn’t really know how to handle them in a hands-on experience. But with the spectacle happening right in front of him, he could not let them fall so easily. He had to act now. He needed to do...something _. Anything._

So, of course, Coffee and Napoleon Cake had screamed when Reylen raced out from hiding, sprinting towards Milk to help her out of the icicle trap.

“ _MASTER ATTENDANT!! NON!!”_

_“REYLEN!!”_

Even Milk gave an exceptional look of surprise as Reylen got to kicking the icicles with his foot. He _really_ didn’t think this rescue method through, but he would try anyway, as weak as he perceived himself to be.

“Master Attendant, it’s too dangerous, please….You need to leave…” Her eyes had a tinge of fear.

“No! I gotta...help out…!” He gave one more strong kick and Milk was freed. She put an arm in front of Reylen, shielding him of the monstrosity just ahead of them.

Meanwhile, Foie Gras had taken the opportunity to unleash her scepter for a catastrophic finisher, but to no avail. The Uke Mochi roared, preparing itself for another relentless tendril assault.

Reylen found his voice again, tugging Milk by the wrist and shouted at the back of Foie Gras. “We’re leaving!! Come on!” Foie Gras went to turn to nod in acknowledgement but had to avoid the constant lashes of the Uke Mochi’s attack with the remaining graceful stamina she had. With a flap of luminescent wings, she quickly pulled Reylen and Milk away, joining the others in a runaway dash.

\--

They had safely returned to the restaurant. Later on in the evening, Reylen stepped away from the infirmary, at the request of Milk. Black Tea was now stabilized and sleeping peacefully in Milk’s quarters. In the infirmary, Napoleon Cake nursed an arm in a sling while Coffee had an ice pack applied on his shoulder and a cheek adorned with stitches. He had given Reylen a small kiss on his partner’s cheek for reassurance before Milk had requested the Master Attendant to leave in order to concentrate on healing the two men properly.

The knot from before had tightened even further in Reylen’s stomach, almost as if an anchor had settled in between his organs. It made him sick. With that last display in the field today, he wasn’t surprised that the feeling had not left; it only multiplied to an uncomfortable degree. He had been told many a time that his battle strategies would be of utmost importance to his Food Souls. Losing only made him feel that those strategies weren’t worth it. In the end of things, Reylen had felt sorry for these Food Souls who have been placing their full on trust on him.

Today especially, Reylen must have stomped that trust flat. He failed them.

Maybe going to bed early might be a good idea, he thought. But before he could turn the corner towards his quarters, a feather had landed in front of him. Not realizing that his eyes had been downcast this entire time, Reylen looked up to see Foie Gras in front of him, her face incomprehensible.

“...May I please have a word with you, Master Attendant?”

They went out into the backyard. Reylen took a seat on one of the rickety wooden chairs that used to be in the restaurant, while Foie Gras floated beside him, her eyes looking up at the starry night. They stayed like this for a few moments before the slate haired man spoke up. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

He watched Foie Gras’s movements, as if whatever she was going to say needed the right amount of weight to give. “What you did today. I did not understand it. May you please explain?”

Reylen was baffled, trying to recount today’s events. Was it because he didn’t call them back in time? Did he choose to battle recklessly instead of retreating? He couldn’t wrap his mind around it, then realized that she was referring to when he had gone out of his way to…

“...When I tried to save Milk, right?”

“Yes. Please explain.”

Explain what? Reylen had only met Foie Gras and she probably didn’t understand his mentality of teammate protection. “Well, Milk was in trouble. She’s also a really good friend and I would be devastated if anything were to happen to her in that position.” He’d do it for any of his Food Souls, without question.

“Why?”

Her cold stare turned inquisitive. Reylen now suspected that she just didn’t understand the concept of saving people, or feeling remorse even. Emotions were a new thing to Food Souls. For this, Reylen couldn’t answer her with a simple answer, but he couldn’t summon up the words. Foie Gras looked away, her eyes looking towards the heavens. Perhaps she was searching for the answer there? Was it written in the constellations?

Or maybe she was simple too divine of a being to _want_ to grasp the answer?

“Master Attendant. It is only by fate that we were able to meet. As your Food Soul, it is also my fate to serve you,” Foie Gras said. Her hand touched the middle of her chest, her eyes now forlorn. “Even if fate were to separate me from you, in battle or in this life itself, then that is how it is.”

Immediately, Reylen shot up from his seat, giving a bitter look towards the Food Soul. “But is it really?” His sudden actions had made Foie Gras look back in surprise. “Look, even if you think it might be fate if you fall in battle…,” Reylen hesitated but carried on, “...I wouldn’t want that.” He knew that his unsure words were still taking its effect, as Foie Gras’s expression softened.

“You said it yourself, that it’s your fate to serve me, the Master Attendant. It’s literally part of our contract together. But then...you should also know that it’s fate when I say you need to live for yourself _alongside_ me too. I don’t want you, or anyone else on this team get hurt. That’s why I...err, _we_ , should look out for one another.”

Reylen went to walk closer face to face towards the elegant woman, his voice now confident. “If it’s fate, make it a good one. Can we do that together, please?”

He searched Foie Gras’s face for a moment, still too difficult to read. She closed her eyes, a small smile appearing on her lips. “I see. I have never heard of this sort of idea before. A very curious notion but, I understand now. This is how you are.” She opened her eyes again now glittering with a newfound warmth, like crystals that reflected off from fresh, fallen snow.

“Then yes. We may walk alongside each other, as fate wishes it,” she pronounced faintly.

Reylen gave a relieved laugh, scratching the back of his neck. Well at least she didn’t say she would flat out hate his point of view in this. Without realizing and without hearing himself (it could very well be the course of today’s events were making him wired), he was babbling. “I’m glad! See, when Milk was beginning to freeze over, I was actually thinking of telling you to chill out and run but I thought against it--”

“Chill…out?” Foie Gras repeated, tilting her head to understand such a phrase.

Reylen waved his hands dismissively, still too flustered to stop his train of apologetic thought. It was rare for him to crumble like this, and especially in front of such a regal Food Soul. “Sorry, uh, just a weird phrase that us humans use. It means to calm down, and I guess I was, uh, thinking up some dumb humour when faced by danger, I guess, and since Milk was freezing over, I thought, you know, to chill, I uh, I’m not making sense, aren’t I…,” He prattled on until he stopped, hearing a faint “pft” from Foie Gras.

She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. Reylen could hear small clips of giggling between her fingers.

Did she…understand that pun?

He gave a sheepish smile. Weird way to ice-break (ha ha), but this could be his chance to help them get even closer. “....You know, I could have said it was so cold, I’d have to kick a hole in the air just to get outside.”

That earned him another airy giggle. “M-Master Attendant, p-please!”

“I suppose _snow!_ For all I _snow_ , I had to take a _cold_ , hard look at myself for that battle! _Frost_ impressions _sled_ us to the wrong conclusion!”

Reylen had to stop himself because of a few reasons: bad puns wasn’t something he was good at keeping up, he was laughing too hard over the ones he did make up and...Foie Gras had also joined in on laughing. Her laughter sounded so gentle and warm, a stark contrast to how cold she had displayed herself before. What a first for them both.

The weight in his stomach had lifted, carried by their ongoing laughter disappearing into the navy blues of the night.

 

\--

_A Bit Too Filling_

“Is that...Mademoiselle Foie Gras?” Napoleon Cake said, looking out from the infirmary window. “She’s _laughing_ , mon dieu!”

  
“I said _sit,_ ” Milk said bluntly, shoving the brunet back into his cot, gaining a yelp of pain. Coffee chuckled from his covers, feeling far much better than this afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't ever make reylen break out puns, he's the worst at it.
> 
> I KINDA based this off my earlier experiences with an enhanced Uke Mochi, but of course I totally skimped out on writing how stubborn I was by repeating it over and over again...wasting precious stamina...It's never shameless to just Leave the fight especially when you know you should max out some Talents and Skills first!
> 
> As for why Foie Gras being introduced so early...I managed to summon her before I got her for free through the New Player Benefits event haha. She's my powerhouse gal, I'm LOVE HER.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for the ongoing support! The next chapter will kinda be a quick one, due to me being a little busy this week. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read these!! <3


	5. Eggs in One Basket (Macaron)

_"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." - Laura Ingalls Wilder_

 

“A dessert bar?”

“Yeah! Macaron thinks that Master Attendant might profit more if he sells more desserts!”

Reylen placed a dirty mug into a full tub of dishes to be brought into the back, shaking his head in disbelief towards his small companion: Macaron, a petite girl wearing frilly clothes and sporting pink locks and, to her name, macaron hair accessories. Ever since her appearance, Reylen had been pestered by her many daunting demands to “spruce up” his restaurant. He liked change, sure, but Macaron had an extensive bucket list and constant change was such a strain on his already full workload.

“Then, then! Macaron suggests putting _macarons_ in the menu! Macaron is offended that Master Attendant hasn’t put any already!” She was hot on his heels as Reylen went to clean off a table. The restaurant was now on its downtime of the day, but he was beginning to desperately wish for a customer, a passerby, _anything_ to account as a distraction. She meant well, but Reylen could only handle so much of Macaron’s enthusiasm.

“ _Maaaaaaster Attendaaaaant!!_ Are you even listening?! Macaron thinks Master Attendant should make the restaurant walls pink and blue! Striped pink and blue! Just like Maca--”

“Macaron. Hey.” Reylen interrupted abruptly.

Immediately, the girl perked up, her bright pink eyes in attention. “Yes?!”

Reylen gave a forced smile, trying to keep the underlying impatience he was feeling capped. Just a distraction…a good excuse…. ”Would you mind doing a little ingredient run for me?”

Macaron started bouncing on the spot. “AAAA!! Yes! Macaron would love to! What shall it be, Master Attendant? Where is Macaron going? Can Macaron take Master Attendant alo--”

Reylen knelt to the young girl’s height, placed his hands on top of Macaron’s shoulders and it was like putting a lid on her hyperactive frenzy in an instant. “Okay, hold your horses, kiddo. So, you want to add macarons to the menu, right?” The younger girl nodded, flashing a toothy grin. “Then we need eggs. A whole bucket, in fact. You know the Secret Forest, the one where you first fought alongside your best friend, Crepe?” After confirming her giddy nodding, he got back up on his feet. “Grab as many eggs as you can over there. One part of the Forest gives a whole lot of them. We want to make sure we can make a few...uh..experimental batches before we sell them, right? How’s that sound?”

Before he could react, Macaron raced into the kitchen and had appeared again with one of the spare giant buckets they often used to put ice in. It was twice her size yet her eagerness made her more powerful than Reylen could describe. “Macaron is ready! But, is Master Attendant coming along too?”

He shook his head, giving a tilted, guilty smile. “No, I’m sorry. I’ve...uh...gotta get ready for the dinner rush. _Plus_ ,” he gave Macaron’s hair a ruffle, a habit he often used that seemed to have a positive effect on her, “I think you can handle this task all by yourself this time. I can count on you.”

Macaron’s face beamed. “Macaron will get a whole lotta eggs! You’ll be so so proud of Macaron, Master Attendant!!” With a fierce nod, she hurried out of the restaurant, giving one final wave back towards Reylen, and raced off. Once her steps had faltered from earshot, Reylen let out an exasperated sigh, his shoulders heaving. At least now he can have some peace of mind for a little bit.

He finished his clean up with a sweep and greeted a few guests in. Orange Juice finally tagged in as his relief and Reylen made his way into his office upstairs in order to count the morning’s earnings. Before he could settle into his desk chair however, Long Bao had knocked rapidly at the door, a worried look on his usually cheerful face. “Master Attendant, it’s another attack.”

Turning towards the pink haired boy, his face showed disappointment. He never expected peace to be permanent around here, now that he was also dubbed the town’s Fallen Angel exterminator. The cashing in will have to wait. “Alright, let’s get some guys together, we’ll be heading out in an hour or so. Where’s the attack located?”

“Err, somewhere in one of areas in the Secret Forest,” Long Bao replied. At that, Reylen suddenly felt a bit sick. It could be anywhere, but just to make sure...

“...Do you know precisely where? Like, in which area, like where we get our pork loin or--”

Long Bao gave a confused look, trying to think, then replied excitedly. “I think it’s the place where we frequently get our farm eggs, Master Attendant!”

\--

Reylen brought only Black Tea and Coffee with him, after finding out that the Fallen threat was a minor one. After a thorough scourge of the area, Reylen was now frantically asking the farmers around the forest with the description of a ‘short sized girl with pink hair, full of energy that can light a room of candles, you can’t miss her,’ to no avail. But only Fallens were spotted in the area. One farmer was even worried that this girl could have been chased by a Fallen, which stirred Reylen’s fears more. He was worrying himself so badly that Black Tea had stopped him mid journey to let him sit and breathe some oxygen into his tired brain, after searching on foot for an hour.

Defeatedly, Reylen announced that they were to head back and regroup, as the sun was making its way over the mountainside. Guilt and fatigue were weighed on his every step as he leaned against Coffee’s comforting hold on their walk home. While his partner had assured him that Macaron wasn’t a ‘girl who’d get her silly head lost in the clouds so easily’, his apprehension wasn’t quelled. He still had that dark pit feeling of ‘what ifs’. He had put too much faith on Macaron and now his worry was making him suffer from it.

As they finally approached the entrance gates to his restaurant, a loud shout got the group’s attention.

“ _Maaaaaaster Attendaaaaant!!_ Macaron is here!!”

“W-Wha--?!” Reylen pulled away from a smirking Coffee (Reylen may have to confront Coffee over his confidence in being calm over such silly things later on), and rushed to see Macaron seated in one of the fancy white outdoor chairs they used for guests waiting for seats. Her giant bucket was atop the table beside her, brimming with fresh brown eggs.

“How the hell did you--?” Reylen sputtered, but then Macaron went on her usual sugar tangent.

“Oh, it was _so_ much fun!! Macaron tried to go to the Secret Forest as Master Attendant had said for Macaron to do, buuuut then Macaron saw a sign on the main road that said ‘Market’ and Macaron thought, _‘Macaron could find eggs there!_ ’ So Macaron went there instead and there was so! Many! Nice people!! Macaron used her allowance to get as many eggs that were on sale! One chef that looked like a cat even gave Macaron  _10_ eggs!! Macaron even got a discount on icing sugar!” She pointed happily at a few bags at her heeled feet.

Reylen gaped in silence while Black Tea and Coffee caught up. Black Tea giving a relieved smile while Coffee was snickering to himself, mutterings of _‘Master Attendant forgot...Market exists….How cute...’_ under his breath.

“You made quite the haul, young lady,” Black Tea said, elbowing Coffee in the ribs so he could straighten up and also nod in agreement.

“Right?! Is Master Attendant proud of Macaron?!” the young girl said eagerly, getting up from the chair to look up at Reylen expectantly.

Once Reylen got back into focus from the initial shock, he nodded slowly. He got worked up over nothing, it seemed. Macaron gave a victorious cheer for joy, wrapping her arms around the Master Attendant’s waist. “Macaron loves Master Attendant so much!!”

“Yeah yeah, I know…” He couldn’t stop the embarrassed blush that peppered his cheeks, reddening even more with Black Tea and Coffee laughing. That’ll show him for putting so much of his worries in one giant egg-filled bucket…basket...

 

\--

_More Leftovers_

“Heeeey, is Macaron gonna get her wish granted tomorrow?! Maybe Macaron can help with the slogan of the restaurant while Macaron is at it! _Pleeeeease?!_ ”

Coffee, still chuckling to himself, gave a pat on Reylen’s shoulder as him and Black Tea went inside. Reylen gave a defeated sigh. “Course...tomorrow, ok….?” He desperately wished Macaron will forget about all these requests come morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> global chat: macaron is so annoying!  
> me, blocking gc: nobody is allowed to shame my sugar sweet daughter
> 
> This is my obligatory break chapter. I love macarons and seeing her as a Food Soul made me really wanna protect her. She says her name all the time, that's a POWER MOVE.  
> I didn't really know how to implement a plot for this one (you can even see that Reylen was getting pushed haha) so this was more of a rushed chap if anything, BUT SHE STILL DESERVES A CHAP, DAMMIT.
> 
> Thank you once again for the support! Next, we go on to the topic that we all love to hate:
> 
> Customer Service.


	6. Sorry, but it's Policy! (Ume Ochazuke)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a heads up that there's a few more cussing than usual in this chap!

_"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." -Anthelme Brillat-Savarin_

 

Life at Reylen’s restaurant slid into a predictable routine. His hired Food Souls have quickly gotten the hang of the restaurant’s popular foods (all from his old recipe book!), and he had dedicated units waiting out at front. The customers, old and new, all fell in love with his cooking, which made Reylen thrilled.

Almost everyone.

There had been some accounts of customers not being fully satisfied with what they were served and had often assumed that they can get away without paying for their meal. For a short while. Reylen decided to let it go, due to his belief of the customer being ‘always right,’ but that belief was dispelled after one particularly nasty encounter.

Ume Ochazuke, of course, knew malicious intent when she saw it, and it was her who put a stop to Reylen’s silly “customer is always right” rule into the dirt.

\--

Today happened to land on a Delinquent Appreciation Day. Reylen had a smart idea while trying to get clientele and Hilena happened to be swamped with a few gangs. He had thought that the restaurant could provide them some food in order to rethink, regroup and possibly even reinvent themselves in the process. It was wishful thinking but he was surprised that his pitch had worked when a few groups learned of the deal. Reylen suddenly found regulars among them.

He had perfected a special fried rice dish whose main ingredient was what most would say an ‘absurd amount’ of onions. It seemed to be a cult favourite with delinquents, what with carb overload and possibly the harmony of tastes, so he made sure to have heaping batches whenever Delinquent Appreciation Day rolled around. At the moment, Hawthorne Ball and Long Bao cooked a few heavy woks of the stinking stuff, ready to be stocked full for the day’s run.

At front, Crepe, Taiyaki and Ume Ochazuke were prepping the tables for the first big rush. Crepe dramatically placed a freshly pressed pile of napkins atop the counter while Taiyaki giggled at her companion’s display. The blonde took the napkin pile, distributing them to each table. Ume Ochazuke was beginning to place utensils as well when she heaved a heavy sigh.

Taiyaki turned towards the older woman with a worried expression. “Ume-neesan, is something the matter?”

“Ohhh. I’m just thinking of today and how...aromatic it will get,” she replied, her forlorn exposition melting into her signature smile. Taiyaki (and perhaps the rest of the other Food Souls) could never interpret which smile meant which on Ume Ochazuke--reassuring, regretful, or a hidden, bitter agenda? For another time. Taiyaki, meanwhile, was confused over the new word she had heard. “Aromatic? Are we getting couples today too…?”

“She means the whole place will be _positively rank_ of onion fumes,” Crepe interjected, shoving a chair in place. “I too, am quite worried about today. Big, ol’ stinky buffoons that will _ruin_ our napkin laundry! And Miss Milk and myself were so careful on ironing them the other day too…” She dusted off one more table, giving a nod of approval and went to stand beside a concerned Taiyaki.

“They’re Master Attendant’s customers…we need to serve even them,” the blonde fidgeted.

“But _must we?!_ ” Crepe complained, snapping her fan open to give a few gusts against her face.

“Yes, unfortunately,” Ume Ochazuke calmly replied at her place near the baked goods display. She adjusted one part of the tray holding fresh carrot bread, smiling serenely.

“Even if the customer is **_oh so blatantly wrong,_ ** we must do as Master Attendant says and serve them.”

Taiyaki and Crepe felt the same cryptic shudder crawl up their spines as they saw Ume Ochazuke’s smile twitch for a split second.

“Okay! Let’s open shop now!” the brunette cheerfully declared, clapping her hands together and making her way towards the front doors to unlock them. Crepe and Taiyaki could only muster out a hesitant “Yes…” and went to get themselves ready to open.

\--

The third wave of delinquents came and went. Reylen wiped his brow with a handkerchief and went to collect the stack of dishes that crowded the front counter. Before he could get his hands on it, Ume Ochazuke was already by his side, taking the dish pile gently in her arms. Her plum companions frolicked at her feet, and Reylen was careful not to bump into them. “Thanks for doing that, Ume,” Reylen gave a smile towards the other woman.

She gave the same gentle smile back. “You’re oh so welcome, Master Attendant! Today is flying by so quickly!”

“Yeah. That’s always a good thing. Makes the day go by faster,” the slate haired man laughed as Ume Ochazuke placed the dishes into the kitchen sink, the squeaks of her plums making her giggle. One of her plums went to rest atop one of Reylen’s shoulders, tired from running about all day. “Shall we celebrate afterwards?” Ume Ochazuke said, returning with clean napkins and utensils to place on the tables.

Reylen perked up. “Oh hey, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea! It’s been a good week for us and I think you guys deserve a victory din--Wait, what’s going on.”

The Master Attendant stopped mid-sentence, turning to see a dark, spiky haired man shouting at a shocked Taiyaki. Usually her sunny disposition was a charm point towards whoever she served. It was one of her good fortunes...yet the scene she was currently stuck in wasn’t to her favour. Ume Ochazuke gave a frown and turned to Reylen. “Another one trying to grab a bargain, I’m guessing?”

“I’ll handle this,” Reylen replied. He adjusted his sleeves and tugged onto his apron. He felt all eyes on him as he made his way towards the arguing man and silently patted Taiyaki’s shoulder, motioning for her to head to the back to recover. As she went to trod off, he turned to the man, mustering up the strength for what’s to come next. “Something the matter?”

“Yeah! This hunk of shit ya call rice?!” The delinquent jabbed at his still full plate of onion rice, some grains scattered across his table. “Shit ain’t got the right flavour! You hirin’ tongueless bitches to cook for ya?!”

Reylen could feel a vein pop somewhere  in the top of his head, but professionalism came first. He took the messy plate off the table, bowing his head slightly as per the Light Kingdom cooking school custom. “I’m terribly sorry for that. I will make a dish for you on the house. Is there a dish you prefer?”

The plate was knocked out of Reylen’s hand by the angered man, grains and onion pieces flying everywhere. Ume Ochazuke placed the napkins and utensils on the counter, frowning. Taiyaki, who couldn’t bear to go into the back with the concern of Reylen being out there, stood behind the older brunette, shoulders trembling and lamenting to herself why fortune had turned away from them.

“You can cook me up a pile of _dog shit_ , fuckass!!” the delinquent yelled and he shot out of his chair, a purplish aura enveloping his body. Reylen could see a few Warrior Spirit Fallens appear from the inky purple smoke the man had created and the man’s form had torn apart--he had become a Bulimia Fallen. It flipped the table, breaking another and a few chairs, then turned back at a shocked Reylen.

Reylen was surprising himself over how he had been keeping his ground in front of the monster that took form, but in reality his insides were churning in a panicked flurry. His mind was swarming with questions mixed with fear that he had just failed a customer so far that they became a Fallen. He couldn’t move but his eyes could see that a few figures had ran past him. He got the nerve to look around; Black Tea, Tom Yum, Dorayaki, Crepe and Ume Ochazuke stood in front of Reylen, weapons at the ready.

“How _dare_ you, sir! We shall give you a special order from us! _Ooooohohoh!_ ” Crepe exclaimed, placing a hand under her chin and cackling. Tom Yum gave an exasperated look towards Black Tea who in turn replied with a casual shrug.

“Don’t think I didn’t see what you were doing to Taiyaki! You’ll pay!!” Dorayaki shouted, pointing accusedly at the Fallen with his yo-yo. Meanwhile back at the counter, Taiyaki gave a very weak yet supportive cheer from her place.

Reylen felt a gentle hand on his shoulder ease him to the side. Ume Ochazuke gave her Master Attendant a smile. From behind them, the four began their assault, gunshots from Black Tea, sparks from Tom Yum’s punches and combos of fan attacks and yo-yo slashes from Crepe and Dorayaki littered the air. It wasn’t the destruction that scared Reylen at that very moment. It was Ume Ochazuke’s calm smile and lidded eyes that cast a shadow over him. They stood at the same height, yet Reylen felt like a small, frightened child, frozen in awe over their protective mother who would unleash a hell behind her smile.

“Don’t you worry a _thing_ , Master Attendant. This will be dealt with shortly,” she said cheerfully.

He gave one single nod and she turned, her plums bouncing happily near her feet and she gave them the signal to attack.

“Is it time for a game now…?”

\--

A total of three tables and 4 chairs needed repairs. They were rolled into the backyard where a delivery truck from a nearby hardware store would pick them up. Black Tea had added up the numbers and Reylen felt numb after reading the restaurant’s supply losses. He would have to use today’s discount earnings for reconstruction purposes.

Sighing to himself, he slumped into one of the chairs in the dining room. They had closed early, rushing the rest of the customers out in order to clean. He had been looking forward to that victory dinner with everyone, and now he couldn’t even afford next week’s discount day. He felt incredibly bad about his performance today.

Ume Ochazuke had taken a seat across from Reylen, as quiet as ever, and he gave a tired smile, trying to cover up how disappointed he was towards himself. She reflected the same gentle demeanor, patiently letting Reylen gather his thoughts up. He finally straightened himself up from the table, giving a tilted expression. “Did I mess up today, Ume?” He was met with her smiling silence and he decided to continue, despite feeling uncomfortable being stared at. Maybe she was trying to listen to him complain? He could vent...wallowing in shame over today’s catastrophe was ideal and he could probably discuss over how much of an idiot he was for trying to cater to a _delinquent_ of all people. He felt bad, yet felt himself go on a spiel as he rested his forehead on his hands.

“Maybe that guy really didn’t earn that free meal, but I was just doing what I thought a manager had to do. I know he took advantage of that, and I _know_ I shouldn’t have let him do what he did, but I costed the restaurant damages, I got you guys caught up in a problem I should have solved on my own, and I feel like I failed you guys. I did mess up, didn’t I…?” His voice faltered, the shame twisting knots in his stomach. He was too tired to think.

Ume Ochazuke finally moved, placing a hand on top of Reylen’s messy locks. When he looked up, her hand moved to cup his cheek.

“Dearest Master Attendant. You work so hard and we all see that. You did what you could today. You must realize that you are spreading yourself thin,” she said quietly. Reylen could see her smile turn sorrowful and he leaned into her hand, closing his eyes shut. Ume’s sweet voice had a sharpness he hadn’t heard before, “You did _not_ deserve such mistreatment. You, Taiyaki-chan, anyone who works here, did _not_ deserve that, you understand? If this happens again, you make sure you have a team of us taking care of it.”

He gave a nod into her hand and she pulled his chair closer to her so he could rest on her shoulder. “You need to look out for everyone here. We are aware that you do a wonderful job at managing all of us but you will burn out if you put yourself in danger like that,” she said, rubbing circles on his back. “We just want the best for you, Master Attendant. Take better care of yourself.”

Reylen could feel his eyes prickling. Crying was an activity he did in private when the stress piled overbearingly on him, but at the moment he felt protected by Ume Ochazuke’s embrace. He pulled away, wiping his face into his sleeve. He was met again by Ume Ochazuke’s tender smile and he now sort of got the grasp of the differences of her expressions.

Sort of.

The same plum from earlier had rolled from the kitchen and jumped atop Reylen’s shoulder, cuddling his wet cheek. “Thank you, Ume,” he said, mirroring a more genuine smile back.

“You’re oh so welcome, my Master Attendant!” She handed him a cleanly pressed napkin for him to wipe his damp face. “Seeing you smile brings me the happiest warmth!”

\--

_Take Away_

One of the big, empty storage rooms beside the restaurant was now swept clean, the floorboards shining. Tom Yum wiped his brow, leaning on his broom while Dorayaki zoomed past him to place some empty supply boxes in the other side of the room. Learning that most stingy customers became Fallen prompted this new remodeling.

“So...we just send dine and dashers _here?_ In case they get feisty?” Tom Yum asked. Dorayaki placed the boxes down, giving a firm nod. “Yup!” The blond went to grab another armful of boxes.

  
“And don’t forget! _Always_ bring Ume-kaasan first to interrogate! She knows how to bring them in here and make them shake!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "it says on ume's profile that she's malicious?"  
> ya, the customers won't know what hit em.
> 
> This one ran away from me haha. I really wanted to do something concerning Dine and Dash situations and thought 'oh hey, ume'. She truly does give me that "mom who would tighten her grip on your shoulder if you budged in front of her in line" vibe.
> 
> I am so overwhelmed by the support this fic has gotten! Thank you so much. <3 Next chapter will have a popular boy next, and I hope I can do him justice. He's a dedicated sweetheart after all...


	7. Devotion (Brownie)

_"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." - Ernestine Ulmer_

 

Reylen was happy to have such dedicated Food Souls both willingly work and fight for him. He could tell with each Summon that they only wanted the best for his well-doing. The outlook only got intensified once he successfully received Brownie, a butler persona Food Soul who seemingly got along with Black Tea and Reylen.

Reylen had thought he _knew_ dedication. He would be gravely mistaken just how that boundary can go.

\--

“Master Attendant, I’ve brought you dinner,” Brownie said, placing a tray with a bowl of fluffy white rice, a plate of black pepper beef and a glass of water on top of Reylen’s desk. Reylen gave a nod back, placing his cheques for the payday into his desk drawer. He dug in with a fork placed for him, while Brownie went to stand beside his desk to stand at the ready.

After a few moments of Reylen scarfing his food down, he wiped his mouth clean with a napkin and looked towards Brownie who had not moved an inch since he started eating. “...Hey, you good?”

“Of course, Master Attendant. I am only waiting until you are finished your meal so I can take away your dishes,” Brownie replied.

“Oh. Well, I’ll be a while yet, it’s okay, you can, uh, busy yourself elsewhere?”

“It’s alright, Master Attendant. I will wait,” Brownie said firmly.

Reylen huffed, sinking into his chair and using his fork to lazily push a piece of green pepper atop a clump of rice in his bowl. This was what...the _fourth_ night in a row he was being attended to?

Ever since Brownie had settled in after being summoned, Brownie had taken to Reylen’s side a bit too closely. Reylen had felt a tremendous shift to his surroundings: suddenly, he was being woken up at an earlier time and didn’t have to worry about being late to open shop, and his office seemed cleaner without piles of recipe files, piled dishes taking up space and various replenishing materials strewn about. He felt that his aprons and uniform shirts seemed more cleaner too, devoid of their usual stains and wrinkles.

It had to be Brownie, Reylen concluded. The Food Soul was like a shadow, taking every little command that Reylen uttered out. The Master Attendant figured out quite quickly to never place Brownie in kitchen duty for fear of tiring the poor kid out. It scared Reylen over how excessively devoted Brownie was when doing tasks.

He finally finished up and placed his fork in his empty bowl. Immediately, Brownie took the tray of dishes away, heading downstairs. Reylen watched the boy move swiftly past a few piles of paper and boxes (of which Reylen was sure had been organized previously by Brownie), before the boy exited the room. The slate haired man let out a sigh. The kid has the same stubborn appeal as him.

He turned to open the drawer with his cheques so he could finish off totals for the day, his head already aching from the deluge of calculations that he had made in the last hour. His nose then picked up a calming scent of chamomile and turned to see a porcelain teacup and glass teapot being placed on his desk by Brownie. “Tea, Master Attendant? It will help you wind down.”

Reylen blinked, trying to register just how fast Brownie had reappeared while Brownie poured tea into the cup. “Milk? Sugar?” the Food Soul asked

“Uh, Brownie, could we talk about something for a sec?”

“Of course, Master Attendant. No milk, two cubes,” Brownie responded, adding the necessary ingredients and placing the cup in front of Reylen. Reylen took an experimental sip, humming readily as Brownie settled in front of him in one of the office chairs. “What shall I assist you with?”

Reylen took another sip (he sure loved this tea flavour), settled his cup down and put his chin atop folded hands, looking Brownie in his eyes. “It’s about what you’re doing.”

Brownie’s solemn expression softened a little with fear. “Eh? Is there something I am doing wrong? I will correct it right away, Master Attendant.” He bowed his head apologetically while Reylen shook his head, taken back by Brownie’s behavior. “No, no! You’re not doing anything _wrong_ , per se.”

“But what is troubling you so, Master Attendant?” Brownie looked up at Reylen, his blue eyes brimming with concern. “Have I not paid enough attention to certain places in the restaurant? I will promptly attend to those tasks immediately, if you say the word,” the young butler declared, bowing his head once again.

“Brownie, could you just…,” Reylen sighed. “It’s...you’re doing a _lot_ and that’s great and all,” he continued, watching Brownie’s eyes observe him closely, “but, maybe you’re doing too much?”

The dark haired boy gave a confused frown. “Too much? But I am only doing what is tasked in front of me. I aim to serve you to the best, if not beyond that, of my abilities, Master Attendant.”

 _Ohh, this Food Soul is really pushing the limits on his butler job,_ Reylen thought to himself. “But you do so much already!”

“I am aware. I feel that I may not be doing _enough_ , if I am assuming,” Brownie replied calmly.

“Your assumption is off target then,” Reylen interrupted. “I just don’t want you to--”

A knock stopped Reylen and Black Tea entered, politely nodding towards the two. “Master Attendant, we have a report of a Fallen attack somewhere out in the borders of Light Kingdom.”

The slate haired man’s shoulders heaved. All the way in Light Kingdom?! So late in the evening?! “O-okay, thanks Black Tea. Get our team assembled then.” As she departed, he noticed Brownie carrying the still full teapot in a tray.

“Hey, Brownie--”

“No time to lose, Master Attendant. I shall put these dishes in the kitchen and we’ll be off.”

Brownie turned to go downstairs, Reylen slowly following suit, too tired to deal.

\--

The enemies this time were an Amazake and its fellow Sakura Spirit Fallens, raising hell in a bamboo orchard. Reylen had dispatched Black Tea, Foie Gras, Napoleon Cake, Tangyuan and Brownie for this mission, having made a few adjustments to lure the Fallens into an empty untouched field in the Light Kingdom valley.

Black Tea put a few more rounds into one Sakura Spirit, racing over to kneel quickly near Reylen. He readied his hand, sparkling in a bright green aura and waved the seasoning light over Black Tea. He had learned a few Cooking Talents after being partly told and scolded by Olivia that his own talents would be beneficial to assist his Food Souls (since, kicking ice wasn’t going to be his one and only ability). He had decided to learn some healing techniques first, since Reylen wanted to conquer his fear of seeing his team getting hurt in battle. He made it a promise to fight alongside his Food Souls in any way he can.

Plus, he wasn’t used to seeing newcomer Tangyuan snoozing after her own mass Blessing healing wave move. She was way too vulnerable in battle and he had to make sure he could heal any future injuries during her sleeping period.

Black Tea’s face, matted with sweat and injury, immediately returned to her usual elegant look, with even her hat being restored to its luxurious glory. She gave a thankful nod, leaping back into battle. Reylen was always awed by Black Tea stylish and dignified presence.

A shout from Napoleon Cake woke Reylen up for him to rush back behind the rock he initially took shelter with. One day, he won’t go into hiding like this and actually stand proud near his Food Souls, he thought to himself.

As he watched Foie Gras and Napoleon Cake take out the remaining smaller spirits, and Black Tea trying to wake Tangyuan up, he didn’t noticed that his surroundings seemed to be getting darker.

It was a clear evening, why did it seem so cloudy?

Reylen looked above, his eyes seeing the bottoms of Amazake’s wine bottles appear above him. Before he could move, Brownie had raced to shove him out of the way. “Master Attendant, watch out!”

Reylen fell on his side, shakily getting up as he saw Brownie’s immense cannon glow a powerful amber. “Target confirmed in attack range…!” The cannon blasted a few shots that broke the wine bottles up above, the final one having Brownie jump into the air, firing a finishing blow to the Amazake. Foie Gras and Black Tea rushed in with their own final attacks while Brownie went to kneel beside Reylen, who was attempting to get back on his feet.

The slate haired man, wincing from a cut on his cheek, was about to use his hand to lean against Brownie only to feel the boy move away, holding his cannon away from Reylen. “Master Attendant, the residual heat of the body of the gun is still hot. Please be careful,” Brownie said.

Reylen shook his head, struggling to his feet and felt Brownie place his weapon down and move to his side to steady him. “Thank you...I should’ve moved a bit quicker but…”

Brownie gave Reylen a nod. “I am here to serve you, no matter what, Master Attendant. I will do as much as necessary to accomplish that.”

He helped Reylen sit on a rock and ran to join the others, Reylen watching from afar and trying to catch his breath again.

\--

The group made their way back, Brownie holding Reylen by keeping him steady under one arm. No major injuries this time, just a really tired group of Food Souls and their tired Master Attendant who needed his sprained foot on ice and his cheek stitched a bit. Tangyuan had earlier tried to ease the pain with her healing, but was told by Reylen that he just needed it to rest when they arrived home.

“Ah, a job well done, _mes chers amis_ ,” Napoleon Cake triumphantly, adjusting his decorated hat proudly.

“Yes, Fate has decided to be fair with us tonight,” Foie Gras concurred. She gave a tender smile towards Tangyuan, who yawned on top of her floating soup spoon.

As they walked, Brownie gave a worried look towards a quiet Reylen. “Master Attendant, if I may, are you alright?” Reylen turned, giving a thumbs up, prompting more confusion on Brownie’s face. “Yeah, I’m just tired. Tangyuan patched me up well but I just need sleep.”

“Of course, Master Attendant.” They walked a little while more, Brownie still frowning to himself. “...Master Attendant. You were saying something before we were deployed. Do you remember?”

Reylen now had his own bout of confusion on his face. “...Run it by me again?” He had expected Brownie wouldn’t have forgotten their conversation.

“You were saying that ‘ _you do not wish for me to--’_ and then, we had to depart,” Brownie replied.

Reylen gave a small ‘oh!,’ giving Brownie a timid grin. “Well, I was just saying, I don’t want you to tire yourself out over me.” He looked down at their treading feet. “But obviously today showed I still need you guys, huh?”

Brownie hummed. “I believe it is _us_ that need _you_ , Master Attendant.”

“What?”

Brownie looked up at the sky, seeing the moon being covered by faint wisps of cloud. “When we were born, we all saw you as someone precious to us. You gave us life, meaning, purpose. For that, please do not be surprised when we commit ourselves to your well being.” Reylen stared at Brownie’s inquisitive face as the other male continued. “I do not feel tired whenever I serve you, Master Attendant. Rather, I am at my best when I can deliver the best service to you. My purpose...is you, after all.”

Reylen felt his cheeks heat up.

Brownie gave a small smile. “Oh, pardon. I may have embarrassed you, and I believe those words would have suited more to Sir Coffee’s vocabulary better, but I do promise you that we all think that. So please do not worry. I will constantly improve myself in order to be the most capable butler. _Your_ butler.”

Reylen mustered up a shy smile back. “Y-Yeah, of course. But Brownie, could you promise me one thing?”

“Yes, Master Attendant?”

“When I say, take it easy, could you ease up with being at my beck and call? I _can_ take care of myself, you know,” Reylen admitted.

Browine gaped and shook his head. “It will be very difficult for me to accomplish such a task! But…,” his grey-blue eyes softened, “...I will do _anything_ for you, Master Attendant.”

Black Tea looked back as Reylen sputtered, covering his reddened face from a baffled Brownie. She chuckled.

\--

_A Nibble_

“Tangyuan, please.”

“Tangyuan, hello.”

“ _Bonjouuuur,_ _Mademoiselle_ Tangyuan!”

“Tangyuan, it does not take you more than 10 minutes to wake up--”

“Uwah!” the young girl bolted awake from her frozen, sleeping state. “What did I miss?! Who are we fighting?!”

Black Tea, Foie Gras and Napoleon Cake gave worried looks as Tangyuan floated in front of them, looking aimlessly around, shrugging and then bobbing her head cheerfully to an imaginary tune. They _really_ needed to get that sleeping habit checked out--she had almost hit a tree while on their way home.

They rushed over once her floating form stopped and she was off snoozing again. Maybe they could gift her an alarm clock later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the fact that you can get such a dedicated sweetie on the second day of being in foodfan means he truly loves you. hug your brownie today.
> 
> Took WAY too long to get this one out. I had trouble implementing them heading over to a new stage and also like, how does one summon up a giant hand to smack a pan over the heads of Fallens. I'll figure it out. I'm having fun discovering the means to write these sort of situations.
> 
> Thank you for the ongoing hits, kudos and lovely comments. You're all wonderful and its what keeps me going <3 Please stay tuned!


	8. By The Sea (Orange Juice)

_“Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.” - Anita Bryant_

 

There was a holiday coming up in an upcoming weekend and Reylen was preparing a to-do list to temporarily close the shop for a much needed break. He damn well deserved it after his first few weeks manning a restaurant all by himself. He had put so much on his mind, from daily tasks to coming up with new recipes to introduce into the menu. He’d have to give special mentions to his Food Souls who also worked tirelessly with him. He was quite proud of himself.

And yet.

As the date to close shop for the holidays drew near, Reylen found himself at a loss. The break was nice but what would he _do_ during his sudden four-day weekend? Something entirely non-work related...and he was stumped on what to do…

He decided to turn for any suggestions from his Food Souls on where to go for a small vacation, hoping it would be both an enjoyable experience and a light dent to his wallet.

\--

“And...we’re done!” Long Bao said happily, placing the last chair on top of the other stacked ones in the side of the restaurant. Everything had been cleared away in order to mark the store closing for the holiday. He gave a cheeky smile towards Crepe, who was in the other side of the room and placing a menu stand away. She snapped her fan open, fanning herself and laughing proudly. “Indeed!!”

“We’re finally on break!” Long Bao shouted, pumping his arms up in the air.

“Indeed!!”

“I can’t wait to see what Master Attendant decided to choose to go for break!” Long Bao said excitedly, doing one spin and bouncing on his feet.

“Inde-- _WHAT?!_ Master Attendant _still_ hasn’t made up his mind about a place yet?!” Crepe blurted out.

Long Bao gave a tilt of his head towards the prim girl. “I, uh, thought everyone knew we’d be waiting on that announcement…?”

“Not **_EVERYONE_ ** knows that our Master Attendant is such an indecisive slice of tart!!” Crepe stomped her foot angrily and Long Bao swore he could have heard the floor underneath crack.

“Is everything okay in here?” A gentle, flowing voice interrupted Crepe’s little spouts of anger. The two Food Souls turned to greet a woman clad in a pretty white and blue sailor dress, her long locks shimmering like a fresh orange, true to her name.

“Miss Orange Juice! Were you also aware of Master Attendant's absence of tact?!” Crepe demanded.

“Oh yes, I have,” she replied. Her tone was so soft that it immediately prompted Crepe to calm herself. She put a finger on her smiling lips, her voice lowering to a whisper and her bright eyes sparkled, as if telling the two an important secret. “He was against it at first but I think it will work out.”

Long Bao was jumping excitedly while Crepe had stars suddenly burst in her eyes. “ _Where are we going?!_ ” they both asked simultaneously.

Orange Juice’s smile widened. “Hehe…!”

\--

Seagulls flew in the distance, their cries being mixed in with the waves of the ocean below them. The North Islands were in the company of beautiful weather this weekend. It wasn’t too hot, as it was nearing the beginnings of Autumn’s crisp airs, but it wasn’t too cold where the waters would bite in temperature. It was the perfect destination for a small holiday break.

Asides from the gulls and the ocean waves crashing on the sandy shores, eager shouts also broke through the seaside lull.

“ _YAAAAAY!! THE BEACH!!”_

Tom Yum, Long Bao, Macaron & Crepe hand in hand and Hawthorne Ball all raced into the warm waves of the ocean, laughing and wading in the shallow, warm waters. Tangyuan, Taiyaki and Dorayaki were on their own mission to make a sand castle _‘as big as Gloriville,_ ’ with their small plastic buckets and shovels to assist. Farther away from the shore, Brownie was setting up a citrus patterned beach towel on the sand and prepping up an umbrella. The breeze gently blew through his ebony locks, smelling of seaweed and salt.

Reylen laid back atop his own striped beach blanket, letting out a content sigh. Brownie had taken up his right side, adjusting his short sleeved hoodie and now reading a novel that was suggested by Black Tea (who was farther away, clad in a frilly one piece swimsuit and sunglasses, having suntan lotion applied on her arms by Milk).

On his left, Coffee, dressed in a light blue short sleeve and beach shorts, was taking an afternoon snooze on his stomach, one arm lazily draped over Reylen’s waist. The slate haired man gave a small smile at his sleeping face. Having the seaside in front of him and his partner resting by his side, Reylen couldn’t ask for anything better. He had only wished all of his Food Souls came with, but they had insisted to stay back at the restaurant for their own separate reasons (Foie Gras couldn’t take the heat, while Napoleon Cake wanted to make the place even tidier).

“Master Attendant! Would you like to play with us?” Orange Juice shouted. She was clad in a white and blue striped one piece, and a white sunhat to protect her from the sun’s brilliant rays. She seemed to splendidly shine much more than the sun was. Behind her, a volleyball net was being set up by Yellow Wine (bitching under his breath about how hot it was, despite him wearing beach shorts), Jiuniang (hesitantly helping Yellow Wine calm down by fanning him) and Ume Ochazuke (smiling through it all).

Reylen gave a grin, waving. “I’m okay! I’m not very good at throwing balls.” He heard Coffee snort against the blanket. So much for him napping soundly.

“But you _proooooomiiiiiised!!_ ” Sandwich pouted, shoulders sulking while inflating a blue and white striped beach ball. He and Jiuniang gave their best puppy dog eyed looks towards the Master Attendant, whining a _‘pleeeeeease?’._ Reylen sighed, gently pushing Coffee’s arm off and planted a cheek kiss before getting up. He heard a gentle thud from behind him; Brownie had closed his novel and was wanting to join in.

Orange Juice gave a wide smile and clapped her hands together. “Oh yay! I’m glad! Did you want to be part of my team, Master Attendant?”

“Nuh-uh! He promised he’d be on my team! He should be with the _real_ game changers here!” Sandwich announced. Jiuniang nodded firmly, taking Reylen’s arm as if making sure he didn’t defect to their pleas.

Before they could all argue, Brownie went in between the groups, holding straws, as if he had been preparing for this exact moment. “Lottery. We can determine who can go on which team, and who can be the ref,”

“Brownie, you can ref, I can trust you with that,” Reylen said confidently.

Brownie gave Reylen a smile, then turned towards the others. “Then let’s see about those groups, shall we?”

He held the straws out. Sandwich and Orange Juice got ready, determined looks on their faces. Jiuniang motioned for Ume Ochazuke and Yellow Wine to join the circle and once everyone was ready with a straw to pull, Reylen nodded towards everyone.

“Ready-- _Draw!”_

\--

They were on round three of their volleyball session. Yellow Wine, Jiuniang, Sandwich on one side, Ume Ochazuke, Orange Juice and Reylen on the other. Brownie had kept score of their game, and it was remarkably tied. Ume Ochazuke got the hang of smacking the volleyball with more force than necessary (slamming said ball into Yellow Wine’s face too many times, the hits seemingly targeted) and Sandwich was doing dramatic flips just to get the ball up in the air. It was good fun, even with their enhanced prowess to play.

Reylen finally gave a short wave to Brownie to take his place, now getting too fatigued from being out in the sun for too long. He wasn’t used to playing outside in the sweltering heat, in comparison to working over an oven all day. He wandered back towards his beach blanket hoping to get a snooze in with Coffee, when he was approached by Orange Juice.

“Master Attendant, would you like some refreshments?” She offered a glittering smile that could rival the shores behind her, while her voice reminded Reylen of the warm, sea-salt smelling breeze.

Reylen gave a smile back, wiping his forehead of sweat. A cold drink would do quite nicely right now, actually. “Sure! What you got in mind?” He only brought blankets and accessories to the beach, since lunch was being bought later on. He should have brought some extra water bottles along, as he didn’t expect it to get this hot.

Orange Juice took his hand, turning around and pointing towards a pavilion covered with tents, palms and flags. “They’re selling some sweets there, let’s go and buy some for everyone!”

Jiuniang tugged at Reylen’s wrist, giving a shy smile which was her way of asking to come along. Reylen smiled tenderly and took the small girl’s hand in his, being in the middle of the two girls. “Let’s go then!”

\--

Sure enough, Reylen was glad to have the two girls with him, as he had been convinced by Orange Juice to buy a big wicker bag to place a huge array of ice cold treats in. He was glad for his vacation savings that Black Tea had urged him to set aside, otherwise buying snacks and drinks would have been stressful. He even managed to have his own bottle of his favourite flavour of bubblegum soda pop. The bottle glistened as he took three big gulps to finish it while they walked.

Jiuniang was distracted by one seller’s display of crystal sun-catchers and hurried over to perk her curiosity. She knelt down, admiring a particular one that looked like a butterfly and gave Reylen an excited smile. “L-Look, Master Attendant! They’re so pretty!” As she kept looking through the booth’s souvenirs, Reylen glanced at Orange Juice who was admiring the far off shore.

“Enjoying yourself, Orange Juice?” he asked while adjusting his bag, now full of goodies, the bag cold against his side.

She gasped a bit from being broken away from her sightseeing, turning towards the slate haired man and gave a sweet smile. “Yes of course! Are you, Master Attendant? Is this choice of a break suitable? I really do hope you’re also having a wonderful time with us.”

The way she had said those words, Reylen seemed to be caught up on how beautiful both the Food Soul and the scenery looked. She had joined earlier on a few weeks ago, but Reylen felt, dare he say, a familiarity when he was with her? As a kid, summer meant a break from all the hustle and bustle. Orange Juice was, to him, a Soul that embodied summer, and the way the waves in the distance along with the bright rays of the afternoon sun, contrasted her amber eyes and lithe form...it was a mystifying sight to behold. Reylen wasn’t a fan of the summer’s extreme temperatures, and yet, looking at Orange Juice helped such meager problems subside. Even his troubles of his job back at the restaurant were melting by her relaxing presence. She captured the spirit of summer, of a well deserved break, to take time to reflect on what was beautiful and tranquilizing.

Summer wasn’t so bad, when she smiled so sweetly.

“Yeah, of course!” he finally replied, breaking out of the spell.

She giggled. “Where _are_ you looking, Master Attendant? That’s _horrible!_ ” She laughed even more as Reylen’s cheeks burned up. He really ought to stop oggling at his Food Souls awkwardly.

“Shall we head back? We don’t want these ice pops to melt before we get them to everyone else,” Orange Juice said, taking the lead towards the beach once more.

Ah right, everyone else. Reylen was glad to have so many of his Food Souls enjoying this temporary respite alongside him. He nodded, and after tapping Jiuniang on the shoulder to remind her that there were treats to deliver, he took the younger girl by the hand and followed Orange Juice back.

Back to his beloved Food Soul’s happy faces.

\--

_Let’s Cool Down!_

The new volleyball teams were Yellow Wine, Brownie and Coffee (having to be rudely awaken to take a spot) versus Sandwich, Black Tea and Milk (also rudely interrupted of their story telling to join the game). Black Tea and Milk both high-fived each other while Sandwich was teasing Yellow Wine, who got himself face planted in the sand once again.

“This is...sort of unfair, isn’t it?” Brownie said exasperatedly towards Coffee, as Ume Ochazuke gave the ladies and small blond another point.

Coffee gave a sly smile, even with the fact that he was on the losing team. “...Master Attendant isn’t here to judge that.”

Brownie frowned and served a harder ball than usual. It zoomed past Sandwich, barely grazing his face, and into one sand tower that Tangyuan had just finished. Immediately, everyone stopped the game to quickly run over to fix it. Reylen had caught sight of the accidental hit from afar, and after a quick assist from Orange Juice, he immediately rushed over, a bright pink strawberry ice pop in hand to give to a teary Tangyuan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "beach chapter? so soon?"  
> reylen works with customers, let him.
> 
> Another break chapter, and only because I really wanted to show my self-indulgent crush on Orange Juice. She's so!!! AAAA.  
> I also didn't go to the beach this summer, other than back in, like, cold as balls May :'c so this is me trying to reminiscence a good beach memory with these beloved kids.
> 
> Thank you for still keeping up with this! <3 My goal here is to make sure the Food Souls I get in the game, have at least a bit of spotlight with each chapter. I hope its enjoyable at least to someone out there! Please keep watch for a few quick chapters, hehe.


	9. Where the Heart Is (Hawthorne Ball)

_“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” - Harriet Van Horne_

 

Master Attendant Reylen is what most people would call strict. A leader. Very personable! Bad at puns! And he sees the best in others when they’re unable to. He tends to get annoyed easily by the smallest problems during his work days, but manages to work around it. He sometimes makes irrational decisions on a whim, especially when his Food Souls--us--are in danger.

He does so much for us and I don’t think he realizes it.

For myself, I don’t think Master Attendant gets enough time to play. It worries me sometimes, but he really does so much that I wish he could give himself a break.

He works so hard and he lets us stand alongside him. He feels like home.

To me, Hawthorne Ball, regardless of how little credit he gives himself, I think Master Attendant is such a cool guy to be who he is!

\--

When I first met Master Attendant, he was fresh out of some big deal cooking academy. He had applied to become a chef in one of Hilena’s quieter districts, wanting to introduce the townsfolk to his expertise in Light Kingdom cuisine. His restaurant, he had decided, would focus on casual dining, or something along those lines. I dunno. I was only told this, and there was so much that I’ve yet to know of him!

He received Sandwich and me as his first batch of employees, but he didn’t think to have Food Souls so soon as staff. Has he never had a Food Soul around him? He probably only thought we were rarities or some jazz. We’re not! We’ve been here for as long as I can remember...or at least with what I _can_ remember.

Anyways, when we went to greet ourselves, I remember Master Attendant’s smile. He had a smile that looked professional enough, but I can tell, it was also full of trust behind it. His hand that I shook was calloused, probably from years of culinary training, but they were also surprisingly soft. His eyes had dark circles under them; maybe he didn’t sleep the night before? He’s a studious guy, but I didn’t think it would be a physical trait to himself.

Maybe he was just as nervous about meeting us, as much as we were as nervous to meet him.

Sandwich and I were immediately tasked to start cooking up some stir fried potatoes, a starting appetizer dish that Reylen wanted to test out. After a few directions about the what and how, we were set.

As I watched Master Attendant move towards one of our storage rooms, I could tell he had an inner energy to keep going, despite his initial appearance from before. He was eager to show his potential to us. I just hope he’ll be able to play pretend Fallen Angel Chase with me later!!

Crepe and Milk, two more Food Souls, arrived later in the afternoon. Master Attendant got them acquainted with the store. I like Crepe; she’s this posh girl who is planning to go shopping with me when we get the chance! Milk is quiet and keeps to herself, but she’s good, I can tell.

Later in the day, Master Attendant had gone off to one of the rooms that had a special summoning device that magically brought Food Souls to life. I dunno how it really works, but Master Attendant had mentioned needing some gold onion looking items in order to call Food Souls forth. I think they were called Soul Embers? I’m not too sure. I just know that they ‘cultivate’ a dish, successfully creating a Food Soul. It’s very complicated, and I don’t really understand it.

But Master Attendant seems to. He seemed fascinated to make a whole bunch of Food Souls...maybe he’s trying to get more friends for me and Sandwich to play with!

I should mention that I really like to know a bunch about people! I tend to ask a bunch of questions and I stick to anyone like caramel, wanting to know more. Sandwich isn’t that bothered by me, since I think he’s used to me, but I think Master Attendant is so overwhelmed by me. But I don’t wanna slow down! I wanna know a _whoooole_ bunch about Master Attendant!

He’s the one taking care of me after all! I wanna know a lot about the person I’ve come to love a bunch!

\--

It happened after I finished cleaning dishes on our second night of closing. Master Attendant had agreed to train Tom Yum (some boxing-kicker kid?), starting tomorrow evening. I saw a flash of his red and purple run past the kitchen and Master Attendant had come in, inspecting my work. I gave one of my smiles, since I know it would cheer Master Attendant up. “How did I do?!” Sometimes, I wondered if he was ever confused about the accent that seems to cover every word I say. I think it’s called a wisp? But I don’t think Master Attendant minds it. He’s too cool not to.

“It looks good, Hawthorne. You’re free to go tuck in now,” he replied. He had turned to place a few forgotten spice bottles in their respectful racks on one counter as I watched curiously.

It was only the first day but I knew little to nothing about Master Attendant. Perhaps this is the best time to learn! “Hey! Master Attendant?”

“Yeah?” His back was still turned, wiping the counter clean with a dishcloth.

“Where’d you come from?”

He gave a small hum, going over to the huge dish washing sink to rinse his cloth. “Me? I’m from a smaller village not too far from Hilena.”

“Oh wow! So Master Attendant has a home there?” I jumped onto the countertop island, crossing my legs.

He had turned slightly, chuckling at the sight. “Make sure you wipe that clean later.”

“I will, I will!! But Maaaaster Attendant, what’s your home like?” I wasn’t going to falter with asking him more questions. I wanted to get at least a broad idea whether or not he can take all the volleys.

“Mmm, well, it’s definitely smaller than this building. My mother and younger sister live there currently, so they’re probably happy with the amount of space they got.”

I tilted my head to the side, scrunching my face in a frown. “Ehh? Mother? Sister? What are those?” They didn’t sound like special Food Souls.

Master Attendant went to wipe another counter clean and after discarding the dishcloth into one of our laundry baskets at the far corner of the room (he’s so good at sharpshooting!), he grabbed a broom to sweep. Whoops, I forgot that chore! But at least he was distracted by answering my questions while cleaning. “Mmm, they’re my family. My mother is the one who, er, brought me to life I guess and my younger sister is my sibling, related by the same blood. I...hmm. I don’t know how to explain it well without confusing you.”

I shrugged casually. I’ll probably get it later, but his definition would suffice for now. “It’s okay, Master Attendant. Hey hey, does your mother and sister cook too?”

“Oh haha, do they! That’s where I learned how to cook in the first place. My mom cooked a bunch of food when I was a kid and I got interested in it. My younger sister knows how to bake, but actually _cooking_ anything? She’s burnt clear soup before...” He laughed, his face looking elsewhere. Maybe he was thinking of them at that very moment? Just how special were they? And if they were so special to him (to make him look so fondly in the distance!), then why weren’t they _here_ , instead of...wherever Master Attendant just told me!

I squirmed in my seat, swinging my long legs over the counter and swinging them slightly. “So so, if you’re from all the way out of here, then why is Master Attendant _here?”_

His shoulders shook as he chuckled again, propping the broom back against our fridge. “Because I work here now, silly.” Master Attendant now went to grab a mop (oh! Sandwich forgot his chore too! He’s so slow, honestly!).

“But! Doesn’t Master Attendant miss home?” I asked. There was some funny human phrase that I always remembered, ‘ _home is where the heart is’_. I wondered if it applied to Master Attendant.

I wondered if his heart wasn’t here. Did he forget what his home was like?

He wrung the mop of excess water, now taking swipes on the wood floors. He had such a calm expression, as if he had been prepared to answer my question for quite some time.

“...I do miss home, yeah. But _this_ is my home now.”

That spoke a lot more than I’d have expected. I couldn’t stop the grin that broke through my face.

As soon as he was done quickly mopping, I leapt off the counter, making sure not to slip on the newly cleaned floors and went to wrap my arms around my Master Attendant for the first time.

“I’m _so, so_ glad you’re here then! We’re kinda like that, um, uh, that _family_ thing you were talking about! Except not all bloody or something, what was it…?”

I felt his hand ruffle the top of my black hair gently and I looked up. Master Attendant was giving me such a charming smile as he squeezed a one armed hug back.

“I’m glad to be here too, Hawthorne.”

I don’t think I will _ever_ forget such a smile for as long as I am able to stand alongside Master Attendant. I hope I can help him smile more as we both work to make his restaurant more famous. I hope he can smile whenever we can get the chance to play as well!

I hope to protect that smile forever and always.

\--

_Dishes Away_

The following night, Sandwich had accused me that I was the one tasked to do all the floors but listen, he totally forgot to put away the container of pork loins back in the fridge!!

Master Attendant still scolded us for not remembering either of those and I wasn’t allowed to have dessert. Oooh, I gotta show up that stupid card throwing kid some point!!

Oh! One more thing!

  
Milk finally talked to me! I was finishing up dishes and she said hi, even if it was a little blunt. She talks a _bunch_ with Black Tea, even letting Black Tea wrap an arm around her shoulders, and sometimes her waist! I wonder why is that...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhh, innocent hawthorne! milk and black tea are having RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND YOUR DRIVER NEEDS TO GET THAT SHIP GOING, COME ON.
> 
> I've hit an emotional slump recently but writing this was like a hug to myself. I've got a whole bunch of plans for the next few chapters and considering there's like, 70+ characters as I release this chap, I...gotta stretch this out a tad. What fun! I don't mind. I want this to keep going as much as I can, and I hope you guys are good being part of this endearing ride.
> 
> Thank you for the ongoing support!


	10. La Perfection (Napoleon Cake)

_“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” -Julia Child_

 

There is a certain air of class in perfecting one’s craft. Learning from scratch, scraping your way to the brightest of highs, is an art that most can even describe as ‘beautiful’. It is also a tragedy when practice falls out of routine.

Napoleon Cake is one particular individual who critiques other’s talents, expecting to see the best habits bloom throughout the process. His very mannerisms and outfit blazingly showed his confidence that he prided himself on. He felt such a kinship with a few other Food Souls who also held themselves in such a regard: Black Tea, Foie Gras, Milk, Coffee (to a certain degree), to name a few.

And yet, Napoleon Cake couldn’t, for the life of him, quite understand his Master Attendant.

Even after a few weeks had passed since his arrival to his Master Attendant’s side, Reylen definitely displayed how he kept up in battle, but by _gods_ , Napoleon Cake loathed how Reylen dealt with it. Through his observations, Reylen was quite sloppy over giving commands during battles and in the kitchen, and only reacted strongly when certain Food Souls were in danger. Reylen never considered looking before leaping, depending only on blindly attacking and hoping to some god out there that the landed hits defeated the enemy.

To Napoleon Cake, it was an annoyance. Like having a piece of strawberry shortcake without the strawberry on top. His method of fighting was to be swift and quick and absolutely _wary_ of everything alongside! Reylen’s own ethic was disgraceful and the Food Soul was internally frustrated that he will never see Reylen overcome such a stupid style of fighting, nor even think that he can obey them.

 

\--

A new area was being scouted by Reylen’s battling team, called Parisel. Reylen now had faith that he had a few Food Souls that can manage the small expedition job. Foie Gras, Black Tea and Milk walked on ahead, discussing the matters of Black Tea’s artillery versus Foie Gras’s staff, while Coffee, Reylen and Napoleon Cake took up the rear, glancing about their surroundings. Their destination was towards the Amara Ruins, a desecrate site that was teeming with an infestation of Fallens needing to be exterminated. Reylen seemed more confident this time to take up the challenge, after a few instances with many Enhanced Uke Mochi.

(Least, he hoped so anyway.)

After a careful walk over fallen pillars, they had run into a Uke Mochi and a Bulimia. Before the group knew it, they had been cornered by the Fallen in one of the valleys outside of the ruins and, with little choice, they took up battle.

Foie Gras and Black Tea, being the strongest of the team so far, tasked themselves to attack the Fallen straight on in order to get some damage in. Milk, holding her dress skirts up, hastily kept up nearby in order to heal the women when needed.

Meanwhile, Reylen, Coffee and Napoleon Cake were behind a boulder, trying to run on some ideas to distract the Fallen.

“Maybe if I do another Blade Chop Talent, I could get some sufficient damage in,” the slate haired man said, a hand under his chin in strained thought.

Coffee shook his head. “Milk’s out there and as stubborn as she is, she’ll be out there until she falls, so I’d rather you try using Seasoning in case she needs it.”

“Yeah I know, but wouldn’t damaging them be more, y’know, effective?”

“Well yes, but losing our healer and then us would also affect us…”

While the two discussed quietly, Napoleon Cake huffed, taking a few shots and hiding behind the boulder again. He went to reload his rifle and peeking his head a few times in case they were seen. Gods, he wanted to go into battle so badly but he was unfortunately still a bit too under-leveled to partake head on and only really used for backup. He didn’t feel it was necessary to put his input in, over such a _stupid, relentless, bigheaded_ excuse for a Master Attendant.

It was now Coffee’s turn to distract and he brushed past Napoleon Cake, propping up his special glass flask over his shoulders and shooting a barrage of hot black coffee streams at the nearby Bulimia’s side. It roared in defeat, collapsing at the hands of Black Tea’s rain of gunshots finisher.

The blond promptly went back in hiding aside the others and gave Reylen a coy smirk. “...You think we should throw our lunch at it?”

Reylen turned to shake his head in protest. “No!! It took, like, 3 hours to make those for everyone! And it was like, an additional one hour because of cleanup!” He brushed a sparkling green light over Foie Gras’s shoulders, earning a serene smile from the icy Food Soul before she flew back in battle.

Coffee chuckled, wrapping one arm around the smaller male’s shoulders and one hand cupping Reylen’s cheek. “Oh, so _that’s_ why you couldn’t get out of bed in time today? **_Not_ ** because of me?”

Reylen’s ears had gone full pink and he brushed Coffee’s hand away, turning his face away in embarrassment. While Coffee went on a flirting tangent and Reylen shook his reddening face, Napoleon Cake huffed again, moving away from the pair and back to peeking at the fight. What a distracting pair, they were so abhorrent even in battle! Setting another round into his rifle, he hoped he can get a clear shot of the Uke Mochi, but with the two men acting like lovesick birds near him, he couldn’t focus.

Napoleon Cake then felt a tap on his tall, decorated cap. He spun around, glare immediately set. “Who did that?! Did I _not_ make myself clear, you **_do not touch my hat!!_ ** ”

“Ah, sorry! Coffee just wanted to ease things up cause he sensed I was getting antsy, but if...we made you uncomfortable, you could have said so.” Reylen stood beside the brunet with an apologetic expression on his face. His cheeks were still dusted pink but as Napoleon Cake peered from behind Reylen’s shoulder, Coffee had went out to attack, making his appearance scarce over such the situation.

Napoleon Cake gave a pout, firmly adjusting his hat in place. He didn’t need to do such a thing; they shouldn’t be flirting on the battlefield in the first place and it would be their own damn fault if they were attacked.

Reylen spoke up again. “Hey, also, I’m sorry about the other day.”

“What?” Napoleon Cake usually never remembered their travels together, only his own performances during fights.

The Master Attendant continued. “It was about--y’know, when we were out in one part of the Secret Forest and I accidentally knocked your rifle out of your hand while we were heading out? I’m sorry about that t--”

“ _Mon dieu,_ Master Attendant! Always pestering me! You are truly _stupide_ , you realize?!”

Napoleon Cake was getting too frustrated to deal with Reylen’s careless and sloppy attitude right now. There was a battle to focus on right now! He gave one more fiery glare back and had not expected the other’s face to be so…

What was the word? Petrified?

Reylen stood still, mouth agape in a silent shock and Napoleon Cake suddenly felt a pit sink in his stomach. “Ah, err….. _Desol_ _é_ , Master Attendant.” Suddenly, having revolted in such a way made Napoleon Cake’s pride crumble.

“N-No, it’s...it’s a given. Lately, all I’ve been doing is making more damages than patching them. The fact that I sent you guys out so brashly without implementing a plan _again_ is on me.” Reylen’s dark eyes were downcast.

So he _was_ aware of his faults. Napoleon Cake just happened to remind him a bit too harshly. His guilt was growing.

Before Napoleon Cake could respond, the boulder was split in two by the Uke Mochi’s many tentacle limbs and Coffee had shoved them aside in time before any debris fell on them. Reylen had got up quickly and looked towards Napoleon Cake, who was struggling to get up after such a hard push. He tried to use his rifle to prop himself back into his feet, bristling with anger over being interrupted.

Reylen went over, extending his hand out to the brunet. Napoleon Cake frowned, taking the hand and then after getting to his feet, he readied his rifle.

“Cannot _believe_ I owe your _stupide_ ass!!” Napoleon Cake shouted as he leapt from the rubble, somersaulting and taking perfect aim at the Uke Mochi’s head, downing it completely. Napoleon Cake couldn’t stop the grin that spread on his lips.

“ _Victoire!!_ ”

 

\--

One more wad of bandages were wrapped around Napoleon Cake’s head by Milk. He was resting on top of some bright autumn leaves to serve as a softer cushion against the smooth rock underneath. Reylen had found a cave within the ruins and had told the group they can safely rest and regroup for the time being until they can head home. Out of everyone, Napoleon Cake had the most injuries.

(Only because his special attack ended up with him landing on his feet wrong and one foot had tripped over bits of rubble, making him fall backwards into more rocks).

Once Milk was done, she stepped aside to join Black Tea, who was outside surveying the area with the others. Reylen went to sit beside Napoleon Cake.

“...You okay?”

Napoleon Cake gave Reylen an embarrassed smile, all pride out the window at this point. “ _Oui_ , I’m sure.”

“Look, it was a cool attack, you gotta be proud of that at least.”

“I landed backwards on my _derrière._ ”

Reylen gave a small laugh. “That doesn’t mean it wasn’t bad. You dealt the final blow so gracefully! Thank you for taking care of us, Napoleon Cake”

The brunet hugged his legs together, pouting to himself. It was one of his worst performances to date and nobody, not even Master Attendant, could convince him otherwise. There could have been so many alternatives to avoid such a conclusion, but here he was, ruminating over what should have been done.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and his brown eyes went to look at Reylen’s face, who was still smiling tenderly. “And...I’d like to thank you for taking the initiative. I’m still an amateur when it comes to battle, I know, I’m stupid, like you said.” Napoleon Cake felt himself internally flinch at that remark.

But Reylen continued. “I feel that you’ve got more battle experience than I do and I trust you a lot, even if I haven’t said previously. I’m stupid but I want to learn more from you battle-wise so, if you’ll let me, can I ask for your advice from now on? I want to better myself alongside you, after all.”

The Food Soul felt a small burning sensation across his cheeks and he hid his face within his crossed arms. Reylen wanted _his_ help? After the way Napoleon Cake had treated him earlier, he was surprised at all that his Master Attendant wanted his advice.

His pride was winning out though, and he mumbled in his arms. “....Need payment, Master Attendant.”

“Of course, and I’ve got just the thing. You get to taste test the desserts back at the restaurant after every battle, how’s that?”

Napoleon Cake quickly lifted his head, nodding eagerly like a child. Sweets were his bane and Reylen, as sloppy as he was in battle, was a chef who implemented the sweet taste of sugar with the majority of his dishes. A good trade-off! Suddenly, he didn’t feel as cold with guilt anymore.

But his head sure felt cold. Strange. His free hand that wasn’t bandaged motioned above his curly locks and after confirming a void, Napoleon Cake had completely forgotten a very vital item. His glee had turn into distress.

“ ** _MY HAT!!_** _WHERE IS_ \--”

From behind Napoleon, he felt a gentle weight land on his head, his hat back in place. Coffee stepped away, patting Napoleon Cake’s shoulder before standing near Reylen.

“That’s my apology, both for pushing you and for being too touchy-feely with Master Attendant here. I’ll make sure the bedroom talk stays between us,” the blond said, smirking as he walked out to rejoin the group outside.

Napoleon Cake took off his hat, carefully examining it over. Aside from a lopsided feather, it was still in good condition. Remarkable! He looked over at Reylen, who gave a casual shrug and a lopsided smile.

“We’ll do better next time, ok? No hats flying off!”

“ _Oui,_ I will make sure of that!” Napoleon Cake replied proudly, mirroring the other man’s smile.

Perfection wasn’t obtainable and it seems Napoleon Cake would have to accept such a destiny, especially alongside his troublesome yet somewhat endearing Master Attendant.

\--

_Sweet Tooth_

“Miss Black Tea, your dress hem. Let me quickly sew it quickly,” Milk said, kneeling to Black Tea’s feet. The dark haired woman gave a small laugh behind her hand, tucking a strand of white hair behind Milk's ear.

From afar, Coffee snickered to himself. “Sure glad it’s not just me.” This earned him a whack from Foie Gras’s staff, who didn’t even give them a glance. She’s known too much of these silly pairing shenanigans already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FALLING! WITH STYLE! because napoleon cake can't always just land on his feet gracefully like black tea can, i mean--
> 
> I was one of those people who bought out dear sweet Napoleon Cake ahaha. He's got that sweet voice that also tells you that your fly is down casually while out in public. 
> 
> As I write this, I just got Pancake and I hope to pull Laba Congee or Udon but since I'm currently f2p, that's...mm. Well anyways, it's alright. I've got a lot of folks to make chapters for, so waiting on new summons and shard fusion can be a patient battle right now. I'm in no hurry c:
> 
> Thank you for reading! Your ongoing support is helping me write more and more with each chapter! <3 It truly means a lot.


	11. Letters from Brother (Dorayaki)

_ “There ain’t no such thing as wrong food.” - Sean Stewart _

 

Reylen had a younger sister whom he often sent letters to. She was still a teenager, barely 15, (while he was at 26), but he felt responsible for wanting to check in with her. She too was an aspiring cook and Reylen hoped to ignite the same passionate spark for the profession with her, hoping that she could come to love cooking as much as he did.

Cooking was their only line of communication. Aside from seeing her at birth, Reylen barely saw his sister, since he had been sent to cooking school early in his childhood. It benefited him career-wise but his family ties seemed more stagnated now. His parents were proud of where he was at least but all his life, he didn’t know how to be a good big brother figure.

Hence why he started writing out letters as soon as he graduated from school. His letters were scarce (he sent one every couple months or so). He never thought about writing to her, due to his conflicting schedule and mainly to his inability to put his honesty onto paper. But this time, he hoped that keeping a channel open now with his sister would help their familial bond stay strong.

After starting up his business, writing to his sister went into the back burner, but after a conversation with Hawthorne Ball, he was suddenly inspired to write again and constantly this time around.

It had been Dorayaki’s idea to send the letters; Reylen knew from the start that Dorayaki was the one who knew how to be a good sibling, at best. It was with Dorayaki that Reylen now looked up to for some brotherly advice, and overall, how to communicate better with the people he cared about.

\--

There was a certain part of the Secret Forest that housed a bunch of rubes. Rubes were Fallen that were common but posed as a nuisance. It was today that marked a bigger rube outbreak than usual and could attract stronger Fallen into the area. Reylen gathered up a group to dispatch the problem.

There was a pair of Bulimia and several teal coloured rubes that held swords that they were to exterminate. Today’s team was made based on Reylen’s training needs: Tom Yum, Long Bao, Sashimi and siblings Dorayaki and Taiyaki. He was hoping that this particular expedition would merit some training experience for these Food Souls, and he also felt a tinge of guilt for not letting his other lower-ranking Food Souls see some action.

Long Bao gave the signal from his hiding spot behind a tree trunk, and together they leapt out from the safety of bushes to ambush the group of Fallen.

Tom Yum and Long Bao made quick work over the first Bulimia while Sashimi, the newest Food Soul to have been summoned, got to work in commanding a giant fish to help assist for an attack.

Meanwhile, the siblings were doing their best to keep the Rubes at bay. Dorayaki kept two from attacking Tom Yum by means of his long ranged yoyo attacks, while Taiyaki went head on against two more Rubes through her huge swings of her flag banner. The assault caused the rubes to disappear in small gusts of smoke. 

Reylen applauded from a safe distance. He was floored by the pair’s teamwork with each other. With just a nod or even a locking of eyes, Dorayaki knew when to attack first, along with Taiyaki’s follow up. They seemed to have some sort of telepathic way of communicating that probably was imbued by practice. It amazed him.

The second Bulimia had been distracted by the lack of rubes around. It went to swing an arm into Tom Yum, making him crash into the nearby bushes and the Fallen quickly ambled its way towards the siblings. It was gnawing at its overfilled meal tray to regain a bit of stamina. Taiyaki alerted her brother with a shout and in an instant Dorayaki flung two huge yoyo strings at the Bulimia’s feet, tripping it.

“Sashimi-san! Long Bao-kun! Now!”

On cue, Sashimi, with their fish familiar, and Long Bao, dumpling bowls at the ready, unleashed their finishers, defeating the Fallen. The two high fived one another, cheering.

Dorayaki gave a sigh, retracting his yoyos back and into his long brown coat pockets. He briskly walked over to Taiyaki’s side, while she was adjusting her flag banner, the pole now sporting a bent. “Taiyaki, you okay?” he asked.

The long haired girl gave her brother a wide grin, nodding. “Mm-hmm, Big Brother! You were so cool back there!!” 

This earned a slight blush and the latter putting a finger under his nose sheepishly. “Awww, you too, you know! You really gave it your all!”

“Great work, everyone,” Reylen addressed to the group of Food Souls. He went between a wincing Tom Yum and Sashimi, gently patting their shoulders. Long Bao bounced happily behind the three, humming.

“So, is Master Attendant wanting to do more training, or…?” the pink haired youth questioned. Reylen shook his head, smiling. 

“Think that’ll do for today. You guys did a lot of area coverage and we should really head back for lunch anyways.” This earned another cheer from Sashimi, Long Bao and now Taiyaki. Tom Yum, still rubbing a bruised arm, mumbled to himself that he still could go for another round.

“How’s about I cut everyone up some food at home? I’ve always wanted you guys to try some of my homemade cooking!” Sashimi said proudly.

Reylen gave an approving nod. Some of his Food Souls had scattered memories of learning how to cook in their previous lives, so letting them cook would both be helpful to learn about and to be a nice insight to new dishes. “Sure! Let’s head on back, everyone.”

“Can Big Brother and I help you out too, Sashimi-chan?” Taiyaki asked, hanging off of Dorayakii’s long sleeve as they walked. Sashimi gave an excited nod, happy to have some helpers in their future cooking session together.

They slowly headed back, the afternoon sun filtering through the coloring leaves above them. A gentle breeze blowing through the grasses and the top of their heads, giving a strange yet welcoming chill. There was a quiet ode to autumn with each crunching step of leaves that they took. It was a perfectly beautiful fall day. 

_ His sister liked fall, _ he remembered.

Reylen pondered to himself, overlooking the scenery from his place at the back of the group. He then went over to Dorayaki’s free side, gently tapping his shoulder to get his attention. “May I talk to you for a second, Dorayaki?”

“Eh? Sure, but am I in trouble, Master Attendant?” He gave a silent nod to Taiyaki, who also nodded back as she went to join the other Food Souls up ahead the trail. Dorayaki turned to Reylen, giving a concerned look. “Or is it about Taiyaki?”

“Err, no. Well, sort of?” Reylen brought his hands up as the blond boy tilted his head, looking even more alarmed. “I swear! You guys aren’t in trouble. I’m actually asking for a favour from you.”

“A...favour?”

The taller male gave a reassuring smile. “Let’s just head on back and I’ll tell you the details.”

\--

They had arrived back at the restaurant. Taiyaki had joined up with Sashimi and a few other Food Souls to make a quick lunch, while Dorayaki had been called up to Reylen’s office. After what seemed like a tense moment, Reylen had announced his motive.

To which, Dorayaki met, with obvious surprise. “....Letters?”

“Yeah, see today, you and Taiyaki were  _ incredible _ out there. You guys knew just when to attack at the right instances and looked out for one other. You guys are really close, aren’t you?”

Dorayaki puffed his chest in pride, smiling wide. “You bet! Taiyaki is my sun to my sky! The flower to my thorns! The cookie to my milk!”

(In the nearby infirmary room, Milk sneezed softly as she tended to Tom Yum’s arm bandages).

The boy clenched his fists, giving a determined look towards the Master Attendant. “If anything were to happen to her, I would destroy everyone in the room, and then myse--”

“Okaaaaaay, well let’s just bring this back,” Reylen interrupted. He went to his desk, pulling from a drawer an addressed envelope and a few pieces of loose leaf, one already having a few inked words on the top of the page.

“Dorayaki. The reason why I called you is because I have a few letters to create but I kinda need a good place to start.”

The blond settled into one of the chairs facing Reylen’s desk, frowning. “What’s this got to do with me and Taiyaki?”

The taller male leaned forward, turning a silver double picture frame that was on the desk towards Dorayaki. On the left was a faded vacation photo of his parents and himself at a very young age, perhaps as a toddler. The right picture, a black and white one that looked like a school photo, held a teenage girl with straight hair and a glittering smile. Dorayaki seemed to be reminded of Taiyaki when he glanced at the girl. The boy then looked from the pictures to the other male. 

“You...who are you writing to? Her or them?”

Reylen pointed at said girl, smiling. “Her first. My parents get separate letters but its her I’m having trouble writing to her.”

“Ehhh? Why?”

“She’s my younger sister.”

Dorayaki’s mouth was a perfect ‘o’, as Reylen took a seat in his brown leather office chair. “She lives with my mother, whose a bit farther away from here. I’ve been meaning to write a letter to her after I opened the restaurant but I didn’t get the time nor the motivation to.” He wrung his hands together, thumbs squeezing against one another in a silent apprehension. “I really don’t know what to say in letters. Even my letters to my parents are short. So, I’m asking for your help.”

“ _ Ehhhh? _ ” Dorayaki said exasperatedly. “Master Attendant, you say a  _ lot _ of interesting stuff! How can you not make a letter up on the spot?”

This earned a confused and somewhat offended look from Reylen. “I don’t talk  _ that _ much.” He believed he kept a level of conversational tact with each of his Food Souls. Perhaps he talked a little bit more with Coffee, but that’s assuming their talking was on a different kind of tier. Dorayaki didn’t need to know that. Reylen would like to believe he was an open book who gave enough information to be known but not too much to be spread out.

“So then, whaddya want me for?” Dorayaki asked, propping his elbows on the table and cupping his face in his hands.

“Well, for starters, I kinda feel uncomfortable in asking just ‘ _ hey, how you doing, say hi to mom, bye,’  _  cause it just feels too casual and rushed. I need topics to discuss, you know?”

The peeved look the blond gave Reylen made his stomach churn.

“You...don’t know what to ask your own little sister?” Dorayaki asked with a mixture of hesitation and annoyance.

“Y-Yeah…”

“Do you even  _ know _ your sister?”

Reylen gave an embarrassed smile. “Barely. I rarely go back home to see her, and all I’ve got to work with is her letters when she was a kid and that picture. She could be completely different for all I know now.”

“You bet your  _ houjicha _ !! She’s a newly changed person and you haven’t even asked her about those changes!” Dorayaki exclaimed, leaning back into his chair and bringing one hand to tug at the brim of his cap. “Do you still remember her favourite foods? Games? Whether or not she’s got a partner like you do?”

Reylen blushed, shaking his head. “I-I can’t just  _ ask _ her that! That’s too persona!” He wasn’t sure he could talk about his sudden relationship status change to her, or even his parents just yet.

Dorayaki gave a defeated sigh, crossing his arms. “What does it matter? She doesn’t know what’s going on with you, and you’re on the same fishing boat, aren’t I right? These questions will help the boat move, Master Attendant! Whether or not she’s embarrassed by them, she’ll tell you in her next letter! But you won’t know her feelings until you attempt!!”

The slate haired male, letting the youth’s words register, looked up from his tightly squeezed hands and towards Dorayaki, slowly nodding. The papers that were near his hands were blank, but the top piece only had yesterday’s date written on the top right corner. Perhaps now, thanks to Dorayaki, Reylen could change the date of that paper to today and work on a few pages tonight. 

Perhaps this one page can finally be filled.

“You’re right. I’m just hesitating on the ‘what ifs’ of this. It’s like I’m trying to make the perfect dish but I haven’t even chopped the ingredients up yet.”

Seeing the young boy’s face turn in confusion, Reylen took hold of a pen and a blank piece of paper, jotting down the suggestions that Dorayaki have given. 

“I think it’s time I caught up.”

Dorayaki gave a strong, resolute nod. “Mm! You can do it, Master Attendant! I can even help you out too, since…,” he stuck a thumb against his chest, “...we big brothers gotta be good role models to our sisters!”

Reylen smiled. “Definitely! Now, do I ask her about school too?”

“Yeah, duh! Although, I think girls like it when you talk about feelings and stuff. Taiyaki said she feels strongly for that one _tamagoyaki_ at that one restaurant we visited last weekend and she hopes that I can make it for her one day! Maybe ask her about her favourite foods!”

‘Dorayaki, you...mentioned that already...but, maybe I could ask her about some new recipes she’s gotten into?”

“Yeah! Maybe ask to see if she can give some to you!!” Dorayaki seemed even more fired up now to offer his insight, standing out of his chair and went beside Reylen, scribbling on what was now a growing list. “You could even talk about the fall leaves here!! She’d love to know about it!”

“Yeah! Great idea!” Reylen was eager to write just how colourful the leaves were this afternoon on their walk back earlier.

“For Reylen’s sister and Taiyaki!!” Dorayaki shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

“F-For my sister and Taiyaki, yeah!!”

Dorayaki shook Reylen’s shoulder. “Wait wait wait, I have more! You gotta write them down!!”

Both boys were getting quite excited at their newfound brothers-in-arms group project; Reylen, hastily scribbling down questions to write, Dorayaki, gabbing like a fountain of overflowing ideas. 

\--

_ Japanese Parsley on the Side _

Sashimi, holding a small plate of grilled mackerel and Taiyaki with a teapot of green tea, were outside the slightly ajar door to Reylen’s office. They were overhearing the conversation with curiosity.

“They’re having a lot of fun, huh?” the dark haired youth said. They turned towards Taiyaki, who seemed to be beaming, her brown eyes sparkling with adoration.

“Big Brother…is so cool!!”

Sashimi gave a confused look towards the blonde girl. “But they’re just...standing and shouting at each other….?” She ignored him, still gushing.

“ _ So cool…!!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> channeling a bit too much of my own procrastinating habits with this one, hahaaaaa, oh man why is my document still blank after two days oh actually its been a week--
> 
> Been hitting more slumps as the weather cools down but I will keep at this! Dorayaki and Taiyaki are a cute sibling duo and I'm trying to implement a bit of ~*~character development~*~ with Reylen and his family. The lighthearted chaps with even just a dash of battle action are the fun chaps I like doing hehe.
> 
> Thank you for keeping up! Next chap will be on the boring side, cause we gotta learn how Reylen's business is doing on a realistic point y'know. We'll just sit down with some good warm tea and get through it c:


	12. A Good Investment (Black Tea)

_“Honestly, if you’re given the choice between Armageddon or tea, you don’t say ‘what kind of tea?’” -Neil Gaiman_

 

Reylen could really only describe his relationship with Black Tea with one word: inspiring. The moment he had successfully summoned her (his second summon after Tom Yum), she had immediately taken responsibility for multiple tasks around the restaurant. Reylen could already tell he had a very reliable Food Soul in his hands.

He learned something new each day, but Black Tea made it a habit for him to constantly apply his curiosity to practice. At first, it used to annoy him how he had to keep certain habits in check for fear of laziness catching up quickly (especially getting up early on the daily). But Black Tea, with her poised and strict elegant demeanor helped ease him towards diligence.

But Reylen had pondered the possibility of Black Tea abandoning him. Any of his Food Souls could have such a thought and the possibility of them leaving his side was one he was too paranoid about. He knew he was capable of summoning them forth, but he often thought that ‘what if’ question.

What if his Food Souls thought he didn’t deserve their power?

But with one so exceptionally thorough with her actions as Black Tea, she had made sure that ‘what if’ thought process rarely occupied Reylen.

This was what made her so inspiring in the first place.

 

\--

 

“So what do you suggest for next week’s--err, next month’s period?”

Reylen was laying back on one of his checkered futons in his office. Its twin was across from him, a glass coffee table separating them, and this was where Black Tea sat. She was reviewing a small pile of receipts and writing some notes. Once opening the restaurant, Reylen learned very quickly that he had to have certain techniques to keep themselves afloat financially. Since Reylen was only an amateur in such a field, he had employed Black Tea to assist with daily calculations. So far, she reigned supreme in adding totals up for each workday determining how much they needed for rent, sales projections and even having ready totals available for profitable dishes with their discount days.

With how much she was doing, Reylen tried to keep up by learning simple tricks to come up with totals and determining how much they needed for future inventory. He made a few mistakes now and then costing them a few losses, but he was sure Black Tea reduced the size of the mistakes drastically, furthering how careful she was.

This time today, they were discussing any means to cut down heavy costs that had hit them in their first month and a week. Dine and Dashers and some food waste were the main problems they had tackled, and now Reylen was seeing if there were any plot holes he could have missed.

Good thing he could rely on Black Tea for that.

“Well, may I suggest, in order to keep our food costs down, we could try to work in collaboration with other small business around us in order to reduce buying new stock? Buying local seems to be a cheaper choice,” the Food Soul replied, sipping at her chamomile.

Reylen could feel himself sigh in frustration. That was the one other problem he still had yet to tackle: meeting new friends with other businessmen. Aside from his Food Souls and a very small niche of regular customers, he didn’t really talk to anyone else. It had been one of his challenges back at cooking school and despite himself excelling with teamwork, he himself wasn’t known to make friends easily that weren’t a Food Soul. It was a silly anomaly for him to be so challenged over, but sooner or later he would have to make more networking connections if he wanted his restaurant to be truly ‘out’ there, let alone be able to survive.

Black Tea’s dark eyes went to read at Reylen’s face and then back at her notes. “Or is that too much for our Master Attendant on his first legs?” There was a small pinch of expected taunt and tease in her voice and Reylen felt some guilt sink into his chest. He really was just starting out and he really ought to get as much help as he can get. Black Tea could read his hesitation just by looking at him.

“I...just don’t want to damage our pledge to take care of the customers first, you know?” Reylen said sheepishly. “I’m trying to listen to their feedback and I’m also trying to pay attention to do what’s best for us and the rest of the other working Food Souls.”

He slumped further in his seat. “I want to keep our domestic bond with our customers and, likewise, with other businesses. I just to make some compromises.”

Black Tea gave a small nod. “Of course, Master Attendant. Very insightful. I will do what we can to make your vision a reality.” She placed her notes down, neatly patting them into place and switched her legs that were crossed over her lap. She straightened herself in her seat, prim as always.

“I need to make one more inquiry before we can adjourn the meeting, if I may, Master Attendant.” Her tone seemed more serious than uusual and hearing it turn like such made Reylen quickly sit up from the futon, in full attention. He was a tad bit apprehensive.

“Y-Yeah? What’s on your mind?”

Her dark eyes seem to bore into his, and he squirmed more into his seat. “This isn’t pertaining to the restaurant, but more on a...personal matter with you.”

Reylen gulped. Oh gods, about him? Perhaps she wanted to discuss the many blunders as a new Master Attendant up until now? He did make a lot of stupid, mindless mistakes in the past month and he could have prevented them with his own willpower. Or perhaps their previous discussion with trying to make friends was still fresh in Black Tea’s mind?

He was much too intimidated to admit his faults in either of those topics right now.

Black Tea let out a gentle exhale and giving a tender smile towards the man, as if sensing Reylen’s sudden jittery behavior. “I would like to teach you some self-defense”

A pause, and Reylen quietly replied with a “Huh?”

The usually steadfast Food Soul put a hand over her mouth, giggling softly. “I apologize for making you worry over such a request! But I would like to teach you some basic defense techniques so you can protect yourself in the field, especially when myself and the other Food Souls cannot.

She was looking out for his already prominent powerlessness. Reylen’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Yeah...yeah, please, if you don’t mind, Black Tea.” He gave the woman a smile, albeit an awkward one.

“How about, say, later this evening, we can go through a few exercises together?”

Reylen nodded again, feeling more apprehension settle into his stomach.  Now it seemed apparent that he needed to accept any help he can get, in order to cover up his uncertainty to be helpful…

 

\--

 

After spectating an intense training session against one excited Tom Yum & one disgruntled and very much needing to be sobered up Yellow Wine, Reylen now had the backyard/training grounds for himself and Black Tea for a good hour. Reylen was told to put on his most comfiest clothes, so he had arrived in one of his old academy jogging uniforms that still managed to fit his gangly body.

Black Tea had arrived a few moments after he did, holding a stack of thin books under one of her arms. The slate haired man raised an eyebrow, to which she gave a smile.

“This will be part of your training, don’t worry Master Attendant.” She handed one faded mahogany book in Reylen’s hands, placing the rest on one of the metal tables.

“I have to read?” Reylen said with a small, nervous laugh.

“Yes, in order for you to understand what’s written in these.” She had walked farther out into the open backyard grass, placing a couple of empty potato barrels in various spots.

The slate haired man raised a questioning eyebrow and went to flip to a random page of the book he was holding. There was a huge diagram of a knife and a few incantations written beside it. It was nothing like his recipe books. The readings looked simple enough, but Reylen was quite unsure about how to go about this.

“Black Tea? How...do I do this? Do I just read it?” He couldn’t possibly imagine that reading a passage from this book will defeat any Fallen out there.

The elegant Food Soul giggled softly, walking over to Reylen’s side. She pointed at the knife diagram. “You always watch me and the other Food Souls with such pride during our battles. Master Attendant, I would like for you to try attacking those barrels over there with this spell.”

She placed a gentle hand on Reylen’s shoulder. “You don’t have to shout it out like we do, but imagine the diagram plainly in your mind. Your mind will summon the strength it needs for the spell to work. Go ahead, try it, Master Attendant.”

Black Tea stepped away, giving a reassuring smile. Reylen, in the meantime, looked too aghast to attempt. Overthinking was his greatest enemy and he was doing it constantly right on the spot here.

“You...want me to read…? I’m sorry, Black Tea, I don’t think I can do this.” He was about to close the book when Black Tea shook her head. Her disdainful look was worrying Reylen.

“Master Attendant, let me be clear. We are helping you with your journey to become one of the greatest Master Attendant’s in Gloriville. You help aid the townspeople by protecting them from the Fallen while giving them incredible food. As much as we don’t mind assisting you with your vision, I feel...at a loss with how to protect you when we are unable.”

She placed a hand over her chest, an exceptional pleading look now on Black Tea’s face.“I am trying to say, please, Master Attendant, I want to teach you how to become stronger when we are incapable to appear right by your side. You, of all people, must be just as ready to fight with our shared vigor, which is why I want to teach you these ancient Cooking Talents that I taught my previous Master Attendant. In the same way, I wish for you to see the good in yourself...the same good that you always see in us.”

Reylen’s shoulders loosened in a quiet surprise. It was a fear that he had backed into the dark corner of his mind; whether his Food Souls would abandon him over his overall weak self. Black Tea, one of his strongest Food Souls, was offering him help, and he was doubting himself.

“You must really trust me a lot, huh?” He sounded so defeated, even when he hadn’t even started his training.

“Quite so. I trust you fully with the utmost pride I carry myself with.”

The taller male felt himself sheepishly smiling, then opening the book back to the knife diagram. He was now renewed with a small flame of confidence, ignited by Black Tea’s words. He gave one quick read at the knife diagram page and felt a bright wave fly past him. Looking up, he saw that one of the barrels had been knocked over.

He blinked. Did...he do that?

Black Tea applauded. “Excellent, Master Attendant! Positively superb! That was your first Straight Cut cooking talent!”

Reylen looked back in mixed astonishment and a bit of of exasperation.“But Black Tea, I forgot to say, I’m not strai--”

She was swift in replacing the mahogany book with a faded olive one. “Another one! We must train you in learning how to heal the team now!”

Her own eagerness was contagious, and Reylen found himself opening to the required spell page. Learning these Cooking Talents will serve him well in the long run. Finally, he can be confident in another aspect of his life...and be helpful as well.

But Black Tea had already helped him realize he had always done that.

 

\--

_Well Waited Dish!_

 

_Black Tea diary entry #4: Cooking Talent Training._

Master Attendant Reylen learned the three basic, most essential Cooking Talents from my old research books tonight. He learned Seasoning, Straight Cut and the Saucepan. He shows promise, and I expect far more amazing things as Master Attendant teaches himself more Cooking Talents.

I shall overlook his progress in the upcoming restaurant quarter & his role in battle. He has become a competent and skilled individual and I shall make sure he sees himself as such.

 _Extra Note:_ He hadn’t need to mention that he wasn’t straight. I am glad he can confide in me with such an important detail of himself, but he has made himself quite clear, especially around Sir Coffee.

I do wish he seemed more aware with myself and Miss Milk…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> black tea, you better keep these diary entries safe under her pillow, would be a shame if we had a House Cleaning Day,
> 
> \--
> 
> WOW HELLO, ITS BEEN ALMOST A MONTH!! I'm terribly sorry for the lack of an update! October is one of my worst months to fall into a depressive slump, due to many personal events that have happened throughout it. Also, I'm starting up school in November! So I've been a bit bogged, and I've felt very guilty about not being able to come back to this. I have loved writing this and this is my first fic I really wanted to spend my time on. While playing the game, I still run into newbie players asking 'whose the best Food Soul' and I hope that my story gives them the chance to appreciate all these darling Food Soul kids (or don't. I'm just here to write my appreciation to them haha). I will do my best to dish out a few more chapters before school whisks my full attention away.
> 
> As I write this, I just received Cola and Cassata & am aiming for Bloody Mary & Cheese (who knows if I'll get them. Theres so many events, its dizzying to my crystal amount!). I'm also ONE SHARD AWAY from Wonton!! Freaking finally. At least he'll be home before that vampbinch Red Wine....
> 
> Hey, shoutout to ViolinCameos! I was planning to have Zongzi appear a little bit later but your comment really touched a light spot and I may bring his chapter up a few spaces so you can see your fave faster hehe. I will be doing all the ones that I've collected so far (save for Bonito Rice & Cassata, they maaaaay have their own fics later down the road).
> 
> Alright, thats enough of an update from me. Thank you ever so much for the ongoing support <3


	13. Branching Out (Long Bao)

_“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with them - the people who give you their food give you their heart.” - Cesar Chavez_

 

It was a well known fact with Reylen’s Food Souls that their Master Attendant wasn’t, for lack of a better term, a “people person.” He was initially friendly towards customers and was even more so with the many Food Souls he had successfully summoned so far. But he wasn’t known to talk to his customers for too long, sometimes even showing discomfort if he conversed in over 4 minutes. A rumour had gone around with his Food Souls, saying that he had “the demeanor of a good iced tea, but he left too soon after too much social interaction and didn’t steep his personality enough.”

This bothered a few of his Food Souls, especially since he was only just starting out as a Cooking Attendant and connections with others was necessary to flourish in the culinary world. Some of his Food Souls wondered why he wasn’t sharing his so-called “gifted kindness” to others outside of their group. It seemed his friendliness was only bordering around his Food Souls...which seemed silly. They really wanted Reylen to sell himself out more and make friends that weren’t just his Food Souls.

Which...brings us to today’s events, with Long Bao, Reylen and a few more of their ragtag team in the middle of Hilena’s business district, giving flyers away to random passerbys.

With _very little success._

\--

_3 hours earlier_

 

“I’m...not too sure about the font for the title. Maybe make it a more modern typeface? And why are we featuring cucumber egg stir-fry instead of our stir fried potatoes? It would do better alongside the black pepper beef and carrot bread.”

“I already said it before! Miss Black Tea said that it looks fine!”

“But…! Stir fried potatoes! Don’t you _like_ that??”

“Master Attendant….you’re stalling!”

Reylen heaved a sigh, realizing that yes, that was his plan all along for the past few minutes. But Long Bao, with his messenger bag full of newly printed out restaurant flyers ready to be posted around the place, seemed much too steadfast to back out.

Black Tea had mentioned a few times that Reylen needed to find other Cooking Attendants to talk to, as it was essential to network as much as possible in order for his business to grow. For today’s task, she had suggested for Reylen to hand out flyers promoting his restaurant, gaining both attention of new customers and possibly newer clientele connections. Since it was his one other day off, it was an opportune time to try to rope people in. It seemed like an easy task, just going out and TALK to people.

Somehow, this Master Attendant was making such a simple task harder than it seems.

“Long Bao….I get it, I understand, I know you guys are trying to help out by doing all this but, I just…”

“You _just_ , Master Attendant?” Long Bao’s tone sounded peeved.

He frowned to himself, slinging his own bag over his shoulder, slumping onto one of his checkered futons. “I just don’t feel like...talking to people today?”

The pink-haired boy mirrored Reylen’s frown in confusion, joining to sit beside the taller male and carefully balancing the small dumpling bun he usually had atop his head. “But you’re okay with talking to me?”

“Yes! But...with other humans, it’s totally different.” Reylen bowed his head down, shame slowly sinking into his shoulders. He hated admitting to it, but he was uncomfortable with the whole idea of going out there and meeting new people. He was just starting out and so many what-ifs swirled in his mind, like a terrible sea of uncertainty. And now Long Bao was only learning of such...Reylen couldn’t bear to look at him.

Long Bao hummed to himself, then turned to his Master Attendant. “You’re okay talking to Miss Olivia and Ichi, right?”

“Well...yeah, but they’re my co-workers. They’re just my business partners.”

“Mmm. How about Mister Brownie? Miss Black Tea? They’re nice to talk to and you seem relaxed with them!”

Reylen gave a sheepish smile at the younger boy. “S-Sure? Although Brownie acts more like my butler and Black Tea is a good trainer at best--”

“What about Mister Coffee? You two are _really_ close! You don’t seem to have a problem with that!”

The slate haired man’s ears turned a rosy pink, as he shook his head, eyes darting away. “That’s!! _Totally_ a different kind of thing altogether!”

Long Bao brought his legs in, hugging his knees and peering at Reylen curiously. “So...I don’t see the problem of trying to find friends out there either, you know? We bonded over tea when we first met and you even said that you _liked_ my tea! So I don’t think this’ll be a problem!”

After a long silence of them staring at one another, Reylen scratched the back of his head, sighing once more.

“Fine. We’ll...see how it goes.”

Long Bao gave a smile, leaping to his feet gracefully. He raced to the office door. “Okay!! I’ll tell Black Tea we’re gonna head out and we can bring some guys along too so you won’t have to do this alone!” He hastily bounced down the steps and Reylen followed.

Well. He won’t be alone, that’s _one_ reassurance.

\--

 

“ _Bonjour!_ Interested in, how do you say, the good eats? Then do visit us at Sweet Leaf~!”

“Heyyy! You interested in our new restaurant, Sweet Leaf? It’s a nice place to eat and see my amazing sister Taiyaki at work! But don’t get any weird ideas!”

“Visit Sweet Leaf and Macaron will be so happy that you came by! Actually! Just visit for Macaron!!”

“Please, take a flyer and visit our humble establishment so my Master Attendant can pay his rent. _Please._ ”

“ _OI! VISIT OUR RESTAURANT!!_ ”

Reylen was seated on the side of the district’s fountain, watching as his Food Souls tried to promote themselves. It had been a good solid 3 hours being out in the autumn sun and they were only lucky enough to hand probably...a total of 20 out?

“Mister Yellow Wine, you’re not supposed to fling the flyers at people,” Long Bao said nervously as the taller ponytailed man grunted in response. Jiuniang was talking to an individual who sported a kettle-pot as a head, and Yellow Wine went to immediately slam another flyer in the person’s hands. Reylen groaned, putting a face in his hand in embarrassment as the kettle-pot person timidly ran off. Black Tea raced over, ready to scold the man.

“Master Attendant? You okay?” Long Bao went to sit beside Reylen. An older woman with a dark ponytail holding hands with a petite girl with long pink locks waved greetings at them. The pink-haired boy waved happily back but Reylen turned away, pretending he didn’t see them. Reylen then turned to Long Bao, replying with a tired nod.

“Is this working? I don’t know if this is working.”

Long Bao looked away for a moment, as if in deep thought, then gave a shrug. He handed half of his flyer pile in Reylen’s hands. “I dunno! Gotta try to know!”

The taller male stared at his handful of flyers with a sad yet curious expression. He had his Food Souls to support him through this. He won’t be able to change his way of becoming just a little more social if he just sat here.

He got up from his seat and looked around, seeing if he can try to pick off anyone from the crowd. Looking back at Long Bao, he was met with an eager thumbs-up. He went to stand near Macaron as she was talking animatedly to a young brown-haired boy. “Master Attendant! This guy’s interested in what we got to offer!” She turned to the boy, grinning wide. “He’s our dearest Master Attendant! He made all these nummy dishes!”

The young boy gave a serene smile, tapping at the picture of their cucumber-egg stir fry. “I’m really interested to see what this is like.”

Reylen cleared his throat, suddenly remembering the nostalgic taste of him trying the dish a few months back. “Well, I got influenced by my mother who used to make it for me when I was a kid. It’s really flavourful.” He couldn’t think of anything else, but he internally was telling himself not to speak too much…

Before he could react though, the young boy smiled, nodding. “Cool! I’ll make sure to visit when I can! I’ll bring one of my Food Souls too who might like it. Thanks!” He gave a bow and walked off, looking content.

Macaron waved back, then turned to Reylen. “You did so good, Master Attendant! Macaron is proud of you!” She went on tiptoe to try patting the taller male’s head and laughing softly, Reylen bent down to let her give a few pats.

“Thanks, Macaron.”

“No problemo! Macaron really likes it when Master Attendant does his bestest!” At that, Reylen couldn’t help but smile. He had such a good support team, why was he so afraid of trying this in the first place?

“Master Atteeeendant! This guy is wondering about something. Ten-glue? Gool ten? Ummm--can you come over?!” Dorayaki shouted at the other side of the plaza as Napoleon Cake also flashed an embarrassed grin while speaking to two individuals, one sporting a bob-cut and bright orange locks and...a person with a fish head.

Reylen took a slow exhale and, putting on his best, friendliest smile, walked over. He can do this.

\--

 

The sun was setting, the rays turning a bright glowing crimson mixed with oranges against the cobblestone and brick, as Reylen and his team walked back to the restaurant. Macaron and Napoleon Cake, taking the lead, were talking about the ‘fish-head & kitty cat gangs’ they gave flyers to, while Dorayaki was complaining to Black Tea that a young pigtailed girl was taking an interest to ‘visit him _and_ Taiyaki.’ A snoozing Jiuniang was being piggybacked by an even tired, but content Yellow Wine. At the rear, Long Bao and Reylen walked at a steady pace. Long Bao sported the remaining batch of flyers in his bag, but it was still quite the hefty pile.

“Well...we did well, I think!” the shorter boy said happily. Reylen still looked a bit disappointed, and Long Bao noticed his forlorn face immediately. “Master Attendant? Wasn’t it well?”

“It was. I felt like I could’ve done better though.” Reylen crossed his shoulders, frowning to himself. He felt a tug on his sleeve as he was stopped by a glowering Long Bao.

“You yourself _definitely_ did well, Master Attendant. Give yourself some credit here! You told me you didn’t wanna talk to people and then just now, you went and talked to a _lot_ of people!! That’s _very_ well, I think!”

A small blush sank into Reylen’s cheeks as he looked away, smiling. He was learning to take his Food Souls compliments to heart, even if they were a little embarrassing to hear. “T-Thanks. I’m just...not good at socializing, at all.”

“But you went out and _tried_ , and even got some prospective customers and possibly future friends out of it! Come _on,_ Master Attendant. You did great.”

He did. Reylen needed to accept that he did change just a bit today. With such kind support from Long Bao and his other Food Souls, he can keep going with changing himself for the better. Sooner or later, their flyer pile will be emptied out; he just needed to be more patient with his...social skills.

_In due time,_ Reylen thought to himself.

“....Thanks, Long Bao.”

“Mm! Let’s hurry on home and settle down with tea!” He shouted at the other Food Souls up ahead. “Does anyone want me to brew some good ol’ tea when we get home?!”

This resulted in a mixture of groans, furious shaking of heads and complete ignorance from the others. As Long Bao whined to himself, Reylen chuckled, patting his shoulder.

“They’ll come around to your tea eventually.”

Just like he was able to muster up the courage to try talking to more people, Long Bao’s tea will be steeped to a reasonably friendly degree.

 

\--

_Visitors Over!_

The following business day, Sweet Leaf was suddenly packed with people for lunch. Regulars and newbies alike were waiting on tables and Reylen had never felt such an amazing vibe of happy customer energy since he opened his doors.

As he went to serve up a hot bowl of braised pork, Long Bao popped his head from the kitchen peekhole. “Master Attendant! Someone wants to see you!”

“Coming!” He adjusted his apron, washed his hands, and went outside to follow Long Bao to a certain table. There (seated with a blond Food Soul, wearing what looked to be mock detective clothing and humming to himself) was the brown-haired boy from the other day.

“Hey! I’m here to try your infamous cucumber and egg stir fry!”

Reylen felt himself naturally grin, nodding. “You got it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since eggette doesn't have a voice yet as i submit this chap, you get a cameo. im truly sorry--
> 
> This was my spin on the New Player quest on 'Adding Friends'. I was one of those people who kinda ignored it and only got urged to do it due to wanting them Embers...I tried to implement each Avatar image in this chap, just...pretend its you, that's your cameo for this chap!
> 
> I'd like to see if any of your Master Attendants want to make a small appearance in upcoming chapters! If you'd like that, just comment with your avatar build and what they're like. I'd like to include you guys too, if that's alright?
> 
> Oh! Reylen's restaurant finally has a name (Sweet Leaf)! It was that or Acapella (though, I think Sweet Leaf sounds cuter? His Food Souls are sweethearts and his cuisine is sweeter than most!). 
> 
> I didn't know how to write Long Bao's character (his wikibio says he's "innocent and lovable", did I do it right?). Sometimes I'm a little wary that I might be writing your fave wrong. I'll do my best with the upcoming ones up ahead.
> 
> Anyways! Thank you for reading and the ongoing support, it truly keeps me going. <3  
> We'll be discovering more about Cooking Talents in the next chap! So don't be sour about it~!


	14. Condensed Feelings (Milk)

_“There are 100 ways to react to spilled milk. Your chance to show love.” - Dr. Margaret Aranda_

 

Reylen had found out that Black Tea had someone that she held in high regard. She had described them as “her more calming half,” but it had been a ridiculous amount of time before Reylen put the pieces together (almost a month in!). He had always assumed Black Tea liked working alone, only cooperating with him and the other Food Souls when necessary in her cool, sophisticated manner.

Then he realized that even Black Tea, with such an outstanding reputation, had a weakness.

Everyone he knew had a weakness, even his own Food Souls. He knew Crepe was weak to discount prices while shopping for new hair ribbons. Tom Yum’s weakness was being so fired up that he can break not one, but _three_ old restaurant chairs from training. Ume Ochazuke’s was good old pranks (some so good that she’s had a few Food Souls make a personal vendetta on getting her back, to no avail). Even Coffee, with his crafty personality, had outright told Reylen that his top vice was their flourishing relationship.

Reylen wasn’t exempt either: his was the renowned Sakurajima dish, vegetable tempura. He had yet to retrieve the recipe, as he was focusing on Light Kingdom cuisine, but he hoped he can obtain it soon.

So it was the same with the dignified Black Tea.

Her weakness was none other than their quiet healer, Milk.

It only took a few more battles and bandaging sessions, but most importantly courage, for the Master Attendant to realize just how important their bond was.

 

\--

“Master Attendant, a word please.”

Reylen had finished up drying a dish down, placing it onto one of the drying racks near the sink. He turned towards Milk, who was standing by, her hands neatly atop one another in front of her. Her face had a vacant expression (but Reylen usually saw her like that anyway).

“What’s the matter, Milk?”

“I would rather we speak in a more private manner,” she asked bluntly, her head motioning towards the flight of stairs that led to Reylen’s office. It was downtime and Reylen had already assigned Ume Ochazuke and Orange Juice to take care of post-lunch rush, so he had a bit of time in his hands to take care of whatever was bothering Milk.

The Master Attendant was beginning to learn to cope with the uneasy feelings he usually got whenever a Food Soul wanted his attention in a more serious manner (unless it was his Coffee). As he followed the long haired woman up the stairs, he began to come up with the situations that she probably wanted to discuss: perhaps she wanted to talk about her healing abilities? Maybe she has a problem with another Food Soul? Was there a problem with the carrot bread again??

As soon as they reached his office, Reylen gently clicked the door closed behind him while Milk took a seat in one of the futons, signalling that they didn’t have to talk at his front desk for strict matters. Reylen had now made it a rule that his Food Souls should feel comfortable talking to him for any pressing matters, hence the futons. But it still surprised him that Milk of all people would take to sitting here instead of at his desk.

“So what’s bothering you?” he questioned as he took his seat across from her.

Her glassy eyes went to glimpse at the side curiously for a moment, weighing her answer. “....I am usually not troubled by such thoughts.”

Reylen’s own eyes went down to her dainty hands, slowly wringing in a distressed fashion that seemed out of place. Milk was one of his more quieter Food Souls so patience was necessary in order for them to communicate.

Whatever was on her mind must be so important for her to be confronting him like this. He was going to do his best to listen.

“Master Attendant. I do not know how to convey my thoughts properly. Please keep this in mind.”

“I understand, Milk. Take your time.” _As much as you need,_ he thought.

In no time at all, she quietly blurted out, “Do you think Black Tea hates me?”

Silence.

Reylen could feel his eyebrows naturally knot in a confused matter. Considering what was just asked here….

“W-What makes you think that??”

Milk’s eyes were downcast, her hands flipping back and forth in pressing against each other in her lap. Her voice was monotone but Reylen could tell there seemed to be a hesitance he hadn’t heard before. “I take everything as it comes. Living with you and everyone else has been wonderful so far. I have made…many wonderful friends here. Especially with Miss Black Tea.”

He knew from firsthand experience that Milk and Black Tea were an unbeatable pair. Black Tea was a fiery, refined offensive. Milk was her hushed but resilient supportive. He couldn’t understand how Black Tea of all people would hate her paired teammate.

Maybe there were more underlying things of the negative variety that Milk wanted to talk about concerning Black Tea.

Reylen observed her as she pressed her lips firmly, as if she was trying to keep certain words in from slipping out.

“These thoughts...I cannot comprehend them well enough. I cannot convey them well enough. I cannot, especially to Miss Black Tea. I have abstained from talking about these thoughts to her, because I do not want to trouble her. Which is why I am here to talk to you, since you have more experience.”

She paused, looking at the other male, eyes searching.

“You and Coffee are close, correct?”

Another curveball. He felt himself flinch and nod. “Y-Yeah, why?”

What does this have to do with him and Coffee?

Her hands were wrenching her dress skirts now. Her eyes were full of mixed uncertainty, her words holding such necessary weight. “I do not understand these feelings, but it doesn’t feel bad. I don’t know it but I don’t hate it. But I cannot convey all of this to Miss Black Tea, for fear of her beginning to hate me. I...do not want Miss Black Tea to hate me...”

Reylen was now piecing it together gradually in his head. He and Coffee were in a romantic relationship. It has only been a month but Reylen could safely say that Coffee and himself were in a bond that goes much slightly above ‘being close friends.’ He wouldn’t admit to having experience romantically, since it was his first relationship, but he was the only person here in one anyway….

So then….?

“Milk, are you saying you...admire Black Tea?” He was probably stepping on a mental landmine here.

But he sure did hit the nail on the head as a slight pinkish tint appeared on Milk’s cheeks.

Reylen kept going. “Let me ask again. Do you admire Black Tea so much that you would love to be by her side for as long as you guys are able?”

His eyes met hers, unease meeting understanding.

“I--”

A knock at the door made Milk’s shoulders flinch. Reylen got up from his seat, shouting his reply, “Yeah?”

The voice was familiar, yet made the both of them flinch further. It was Black Tea.

“We have received reports of a Fallen Angel attack. It’s located in Light Kingdom’s Sky City Foothills. Shall I round up a team together?”

Reylen leaned against the table in front of him, letting out a discouraged huff. He gave a questioning glance towards Milk. She was at her most vulnerable after this conversation, but he relied on her mostly for healing duties during battles. He could ask for Tangyuan to come along instead, but…

...Milk had already placed her small hand over Reylen’s, her clear eyes decided. Reylen gave a confident nod.

“Hey, Black Tea. Milk’s coming along, just get three more. We’ll head out this afternoon.”

 

\--

For Reylen’s fallen angel expeditions out in Light Kingdom, he now made sure he made a strong team that can last the journey and packed enough for them to stay over. He had befriended an older woman who had visited his restaurant a few days back, who also operated her own restaurant out in Spring Town. She had invited Reylen and her Food Souls to stay and sleep over temporarily in exchange for Gloriville food supplies.

Reylen had brought over Black Tea, Milk, Coffee, Tom Yum and Brownie for this particular trip. He was told the Fallen Angel this time was a reckless and unpredictable Aizen, on par with an Uke Mochi in power. They would have to be extra careful with their battle strategy for this one.

They had arrived in the late evening at the Glass Flower restaurant in the outskirts of Spring Town, and was greeted to a small yet filling dinner of chicken soup. The woman’s Food Souls interacted nicely with Reylen’s (Her Tempura seemed to like to spar against Tom Yum, while Black Tea and Brownie was having a strategy meeting with the woman’s Crab Long Bao who had past experiences fighting Aizen in the area).

Outside, Reylen had noticed that Milk had stepped away from the overcrowded house, deciding to take a small stroll in the small oriental garden behind the restaurant. Alongside her, she was conversing with Coffee. He had a more mature look while listening to her talk quietly. Reylen knew that these two were also an inseparable pair and that they knew each other from a long while back. It didn’t seem strange for her to be discussing her troubles to her friend, as capricious as he may seem.

“Am I interrupting anything?” Reylen asked as he approached the two. They had stopped to admire the small koi pond in the middle of the garden.

Coffee’s face lit as soon as the shorter male went to stand beside him. “Haha, not at all, Master Attendant. Just catching up.”

Milk took a seat on the decorated stones near the pond, her hand gently touching the water’s surface, eyes unreadable. “I told him what I told you. I trust the both of you very much.”

“I see…”

Swiftly, Coffee went to bring Reylen into a one-armed hug, cradling Reylen’s head against his chest and dizzying Reylen with his strong, bold scent of his namesake. He could feel Coffee’s lips against his locks. Milk had turned to gaze upwards at them, her clear eyes now in wonder.

“So what I was trying to say here. _This_ is what Master Attendant and I have. Is _this_ what you wish for with your beloved person?” Coffee’s eyes were hardened behind his circular shades but his tone had become soft.

Reylen gave Milk a reassuring smile. “If it isn’t, it’s understandable. Feelings are hard to understand, I’d know! And you guys are Food Souls so, emotions must be hard to figure out.”

A silence fell among them and Coffee lifted his head, looking up at the clear evening night. Reylen felt the male squeeze his shoulder gently. “...We should get some rest for our expedition tomorrow.”

Milk gazed at them more, then turned away, shaking her head.

“...Thank you. I may need more time to think about these difficult feelings. I do not have the answer just yet.”

She watched the koi in the pond swim, as if waiting to see if the answer was hidden there, reflected in their waters.

 

\--

“Brownie! Shoot those pots! I’ll smash the remaining ones!”

“Got it!”

Their fight against the Aizen was going quite well so far. Brownie and Tom Yum had agreed to be the defensive decoys of this battle, while Black Tea and Coffee made sure to make damage towards the Fallen. Milk hung back beside Reylen, both ready to heal when needed.

“That thing seems more agitated than me…” Coffee muttered in mock sarcasm, stepping back as Reylen waved a Seasoning hand over his injured shoulder.

“Think alcohol would make _anybody_ more agitated than your stuff will,” Reylen could feel his mouth twitching in amusement as Coffee gave a snort. In every battle, when Coffee had a chance to be snide, Reylen always took the bait. It made things more light-hearted at least.

The Aizen had flicked its huge, serpent-like tail towards the two and Coffee immediately scooped Reylen into his arms, leaping to the side.

“You alright? Not hurt?” Coffee pressed his forehead against Reylen’s, face contorted into concern. Reylen was gently placed back on his feet, and he gave a smile back at the blond. It was also really nice when Reylen can see such expressions on his Coffee’s face.

“Yeah. So as long as you’re not hurt.”

“Haha, I’ll be fine. You’re with me.”

From afar, Milk’s glossy eyes admired the two, her hands bunching up the sides of her skirt. Tom Yum’s yelp made her break away.

“W-What’s it doing?! Drinking _again?!”_

Brownie readied his cannon as the Aizen took a giant swig from its intricate pot, throwing it behind its shoulder with a widened grin and roared in a violent rage. The Food Soul couldn’t get a shot in as the Aizen drew its tail to strike at Brownie.

He rolled to the side, wincing from having to roll with his giant cannon, then turned towards Reylen, who was now rushing closer towards their opponent alongside everyone else. He turned, his grey eyes widening in horror as the Aizen puffed its chest up, then spewing a gigantic flame reeking of alcohol towards the group. Black Tea, Tom Yum and Brownie, having been up at front, took the most damage, screaming in pain at the licking flames that burned them. Coffee shielded Reylen in a tight embrace, but had a few flames scorch up against his upper back. Reylen could feel the other’s form recoil in pain.

But up to this point, Reylen wasn’t afraid. He still had...

_“Everyone...please do not worry. I’m here.”_

Milk stepped in, eyes now furrowed in an unspeakable animosity, and summoned a dark cloud that rained the white essence to her name. The droplets that hit her other teammates immediately had a lasting healing effect; it was as if their burns had never been inflicted in the first place. Even the healer, who sported a few burns up her arms, now had them healed after the mending rain hit her skin.

Black Tea, who was knelt at the side and nursing her healing arm, gave Milk a small smile. “Thank you…”

Milk turned away, mumbling something incoherent. Coffee had went to pull Milk’s wrist as he dragged her and Reylen to safer ground.

As soon as the rest of the team were healed, they follower suit, being farther away from the Aizen who was now raging in place, too distracted by its drunkenness. Brownie motioned towards Reylen, hat askew.

“Master Attendant! Remember what we mentioned last night!! He’s intoxicated, _now’s the time!_ ”

“Okay!!”

Reylen took a sharp intake of breath, closing his eyes as a blue light emitted from his hands. Training his Cooking Talent skills had been a long, arduous one, but he had told himself again and again that he too can be useful to his Food Souls.

From above the Aizen, the same blue light was forming to become the shape of a saucepan. When Reylen opened his eyes again, he clenched one of his glowing hands into a fist. The saucepan now looked as though it was being held in the same manner.

With one rapid sweep, Reylen brought the saucepan down over the Aizen’s head. As the pan disappeared in a bright blue light, the Aizen screeched in pain.

“Now! Black Tea!!”

On cue, Black Tea went to ready her flintlocks, but was suddenly stopped by Milk’s gentle hand on her shoulder. They gaze at each other for a mere moment before Black Tea leapt into the air, performing her signature somersault before aiming her guns at the Aizen.

**_“It ends here!!”_ **

Her well placed shots made huge, flowery fireworks at the Aizen, who was felled in an instant. The others gave a cheer and raced over.

She fluttered back to the ground, landing gracefully on her feet. Milk was the first to reach her, rushing over to take the other woman’s hand and steadied her footing. Her face seemed more torn with worry now for her companion.

She was surprised when Black Tea stood up and then brought Milk’s palm up to her lips.

“A job well done, wouldn’t you say?”

“I….yes...”

Black Tea gave Milk an expression that Reylen couldn’t describe at the time as appreciation, but more of...a soft fondness?

“Thank you, my dearest other half.”

Milk was looking around in a slow dazed confusion, not realizing her pale face had a dusting of pink on her dainty cheeks. Her clear eyes landed at Reylen, who shrugged from his place with Coffee holding him from behind.

“...Cat’s outta the bag?”

 

\--

_The night before_

Brownie had went up ahead upstairs to ready their beds but Reylen was stopped by Black Tea to discuss his part in tomorrow’s battle.

“So, saucepan. Got it.” No knives this time, he thought. Before he could move to ready himself to go to bed, Black Tea had pulled Reylen’s wrist to sit down once more.

“Please accept my apology for what I’m about to say, Master Attendant.”

Reylen was definitely surprised by such an announcement. “Wait what? Black Tea, what’s going on, what happened?”

She gave a smile that seemed almost guilty, like a child who had stolen cookies from the cookie jar. “I...had overheard your conversation with Miss Milk this afternoon.”

He felt himself cringe. Now he was in the middle of something worse; what did Black Tea have to say about his conversation with Milk? He swore they had been quiet enough in his office, but his walls still seemed so paper thin at times…

“Please. Do not worry yourself over what I may say. It’s in no way negative at all. I’m more concerned...about whether she can talk to me about it herself. Perhaps...I shall find an opportune time when I am able to properly discuss this with her.”

_Huh?_

Reylen gave a incredulous expression at the well refined woman in front of him. “W-W-W-Wait, you mean--?”

“I do mean so, yes.”

 

\--

They made their way back to the Glass Flower, the half moon above them their only light. Tom Yum and Brownie were in the front, talking about how exciting it was to fight alongside ‘such strong teammates’, while Coffee and Reylen kept looking back at the two women in the rear of the group.

They were taking their time to head home, and for good reason. Black Tea and Milk were talking to each other in hushed voices, bridled within their personal conversation. Their faces aglow with a reformed affection towards one another, hands shyly connected, yet finally confident to stay as they were.

 

\--

_A Snack Before Bed_

Their beds were limited; Tom Yum and Brownie took a couch each, Black Tea & Milk took the two guest beds while Reylen and Coffee had their own bed to share.

It wasn’t a problem, since Coffee seemed to be a guest at Reylen’s quarters back home anyway.

As Reylen got comfortable under the covers, he felt the bed become heavier as Coffee laid on the other side. His arm went to wrap around Reylen’s chest and pulled the smaller male closer against him. Reylen’s back was against Coffee’s chest, feeling the blond's chest relax into the same, steady rhythm of his own breaths. They both slept with just sleep trousers on, but holding each other made them into portable heaters.

But still, Coffee was susceptible to the room’s temperature.

“M’cold,” Coffee mumbled against Reylen’s neck.

“Haha, cold Coffee.”

The blond gave a chuckle, blowing a raspberry, earning a giggle from the Master Attendant. “Good night, sweet love.”

“Good night, dearest.”

“Hope the two new lovebirds next door are quiet, huh?”

Reylen elbowed Coffee against his ribs, earning another chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> joke's on coffee, everyone fell asleep including himself, the person who didnt get any sleep at all was brownie cause everyone was snoring and he was kept up by their snoring--
> 
> YA BOY HIT 3K WORDS FOR THIS CHAP!! I've never done that before! It kinda feels surreal to go from doing 1k to 3k in a short while. Again, writing is very new to me, so this is kind of a cool accomplishment hehe.
> 
> Really wanted to finally get my Black Tea with Milk agenda up and going alongside my shameless CoffeeMA plug, and this is how it happens haha. I also really wanted to write an Aizen in! Asides from Spectra, its one of my fave Fallens.
> 
> Thanks for the ongoing support! I promise you, we'll have some new characters showing up soon D:! For now, look forward to the next as we get into Explorations and relying on your Food Souls for THAT sort of thing sounds fun, doesn't it...?


	15. Rely on Me (Zongzi)

_“It’s important to begin a search on a full stomach” - Henry Bromel_

 

As a child, Reylen was a shy introvert. Since his family lived in Gloriville’s countryside, there weren’t many neighbours around and Reylen relied mostly on himself to pass the time. His mother used to describe him as _‘a child who would rather discover new things than speak with her’_. Since his sister wasn’t born yet at the time, he really did only have himself to play with.

He spent most of his days outside and exploring what laid beyond their fence--a vast part of the Secret Forest. Through curiosity alone, he went on small adventures deep in the forest, finding paths that led to meadows and even a waterfall that he was _sure_ was his own little secret. He then learned to harvest potatoes he found within the forest, often bringing a basket home for dinner. This was a hobby of his up until he was sent to a small cooking school when he was but 10.

Present day, he still likes to learn about new dishes to cook. But he truly had an internal thrill whenever him and his Food Souls went out to either grab ingredients or exterminate Fallens. It helped him go out more. He also now had Food Souls that helped him rekindle his adventurous side.

Lately, it seemed that Reylen was lacking in certain building materials for his kitchen. An Ice Arena was recommended for his Food Souls who worked tirelessly in the Sweet Leaf and he needed to invest in their well-being instead of relying on just Soul Fruits he picked up at the Market.

He was told through Olivia to try making up a new team solely for Explorations. These special expeditions were not like Fallen Angel extermination journeys; it was meant solely for material gathering only. It was on a certain day where he was curious and wanted to tag along, see how it went firsthand.

But this would be his first time exploring with others since his childhood. And he had chosen a _weird_ team for that day, so that’s on him.

Let’s see how this goes for Master Attendant Reylen.

 

\--

 

“I’m gonna sleep right here.”

“No, no you are _not_ , Tangyuan--Tangyuan, no, get up. You can’t just stop on your tracks while we’re out here. No--”

“Master Attendant! Do you have a hair tie?! My hair keeps getting stuck in all of these... _yaaa!..._ bushes…!”

“Wha--No, sorry, I don’t, my hair’s too short for a tie--”

“ **_HAAAAAHAHA!_ ** Orange Juice-chan, you need to let your hair be free! Let it FEEL the wild of the jungle around you!!”

“Ahhhhh, will you _shuuuut_ up, you big boobed buffoon! I have a headache from your constant yelling!”

“Yeah! And you woke Tangyuan up!”

“Eh? Yellow Wine-san, you were drinking fine last night, is that why you got that headache?”

“N-NO!! Shut up! Stop telling me what to do, spiky bonehead!!”

“Oh okay, Tangyuan can go back to sleep then…”

“Master Attendant, are you okay…? You sank to the ground suddenly…”

North Island’s Crazy Jungle. It was renowned for its intricate paths leading to deeper parts of its thicket. Various Explorers often retrieved materials suitable for building reconstruction, and the Jungle housed many natural resources for such goals. It was also known to keep travelers in a confused state of manner due to the jungle’s natural toxins that were released from the flora.

Reylen couldn’t tell if it was the jungle making them confused or his current team that couldn’t, for the life of them, cooperate.

Orange Juice and Zongzi, a newly summoned Food Soul, joined the slate haired man on sitting on a fallen tree trunk. They both looked fatigued from the long journey but concerned over Reylen’s state of sanity. The rest of his teammates (Tangyuan, Yellow Wine and another newcomer, Tempura), were squabbling.

As Reylen kept his face in his hands, groaning to himself about why he bothered to come along, he felt a small tap on his hands. Looking down, he saw that he now held a canteen of water, something that he had planned in advance before they had set off on this exploration.

He turned to Zongzi, who was taking gulps from his own canteen. After he capped it closed, he gave a serene smile towards Reylen. “We must stay hydrated, Master Attendant. Gotta keep our wits together.”

Reylen gave a small smile towards the Food Soul and listening to his advice, took a good swig of fresh water. Zongzi had only been summoned a couple days ago, but he was very trustworthy, a voice of reason whenever Reylen felt lost in his thoughts. Thank goodness he brought along somebody with enough sensible integrity.

Orange Juice was looking around anxiously, fingers trying to untangle the small branches that happened to be stuck in her long hair. “It’s been _three_ _hours_ already, why haven’t we found anything useful?” She was usually composed but the journey was beginning to wear her composure down.

“Didn’t we find a few planks of wood, some screws and even some rock sugar? Sir Tempura is backpacking that, remember,” Zongzi replied, now dusting the front of his robes down and peering over the vast jungle floor. “Maybe we haven’t checked this area thoroughly enough.”

The young woman gave a long sigh of frustration. “I’m just so tired of walking through this place now! Can’t we leave soon?”

“Orange Juice-chan!! It’s so unlikely for you to be so impatient! An hour is _nothing_ out in these wilds!” Tempura bellowed as he walked over to the three. His own fiery expressiveness was something Reylen was still trying to get accustomed to. “We still haven’t even seen any good Fallens yet that can land us some goods!”

The maiden simply turned her wrinkled nose to another direction, pretending she didn’t hear the wild haired man.

Yellow Wine, who was dragging the end of a sleeping Tangyuan’s soup spoon, slumped against the fallen tree trunk, also groaned in disgust. “ _Goooooods_ , Master Attendant. Can we postpone this? I drank too much and I only came along just to see if we can find anything good. Can we go back n--”

He was interrupted when Tangyuan almost fell off her spoon and he stopped mid-sentence to catch her. She woke up slowly, giggling as she was propped back in place atop her spoon.

“Oh! Are we there yet?” she asked with wide eyes.

“ _No!_ We’re not going _anywhere_! You’re supposed to be helping us find shit!!”

Reylen put his hand up, tiredly mumbling for Yellow Wine to stop yelling, but instead put his face in said hand in defeat. He was more tired than usual, and he usually was more tired when he went Fallen Angel hunting. Meanwhile, Orange Juice was tapping Tangyuan’s spoon in an lackadaisical manner with her stocking foot. Tempura had run off in the other side of the underbrush, yelling something incoherent.

“Ah! Master Attendant, you said you wanted some steel for our restaurant?” Zongzi shouted. Reylen looked up and saw that he was holding up some small silver pieces in between his fingers.

“Yeah, that looks good. Thanks, Zongzi,” Reylen said in a monotonous tone. He was surprised he still had the energy to talk even.

Zongzi walked over, worry pasted all over his face. “Perhaps we really do need to retire this excursion. You and everyone else look so weary.” He placed a hand on Reylen’s tense shoulder. “We could go back out here tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? Do this all over again _tomorrow?_ Reylen couldn’t fathom the thought of having sore feet for yet another day (he stood long enough back at the restaurant!), having to hear complaint after complaint from a badly selected Food Soul team, and he was pretty sure he’s got constellations of annoying bug bites on his legs, despite him wearing pants.

“I...don’t think I wanna go back here tomorrow.”

His answer was met with a poignant pause from the others. Zongzi, in particular, gave a look so let down, Reylen could feel his heart sink along with it.

He was surprised when Zongzi went to stand in front of the others, now sporting a defiant look over their behavior.

_“Everyone! Do you not realize what you’re doing right now?!”_

Reylen swore he heard a few birds leave the trees from above them, all from Zongzi’s raised voice.

Orange Juice and Tangyuan now went to turn to Zongzi, also stunned. Yellow Wine, having sat on the grass and laid his head against the tree trunk, now lifted his head to look at the other male in a daze.

Zongzi inhaled sharply from his nose, then pointed at Reylen. “Our Master Attendant had asked us to assist him on his project to create an Ice Arena for us! The Food Souls back home who are still working shifts at the restaurant _need_ this Arena! And you guys have only succeeded in doing one thing, and one thing only-- _complaining so much that our Master Attendant doesn’t_ **_want_ ** _to continue his search for materials!”_

Another painful pause. Orange Juice was looking down at her lap, her fingers now fiddling with her hair strands guiltily. Tangyuan and Yellow Wine had also given themselves blameworthy looks towards each other.

The usually refined man continued, his voice rising and shaking with anger. “You have all lost your ability to help our Master Attendant with his wishes! We are supposed to be proud of how much power we possess! And _yet!!_ _All of you!!_ If you wanted to leave so badly, you could have! You _should_ have!! I am ashamed to be in such...such _deplorable_ company!!!”

“Z-Zongzi, hey, it’s okay, you don’t need to call them that--” Reylen interjected.

The Food Soul immediately stopped and turned towards Reylen, now looking apologetic. “I-I’m truly sorry, Master Attendant! I didn’t mean to say my thoughts like that, I apologize for getting out of hand--”

“No. He’s right.”

Heads turned to Yellow Wine, now steadying himself back on his feet. He scratched the back of his neck, giving a humiliated frown. “Look, sorry. I’m nursing a hangover but that’s on me. Always has. I volunteered for this, and I do intend on coming home with concrete proof to show we did _something_.”

He gave one quick nod towards Zongzi. “Thanks for that.”

Tangyuan gave a small huff, then mustered up her own determined expression. “I’m sorry too! Tangyuan didn’t mean to fall asleep and not know what we’re doing. I really was here to support you guys...but I-I’ll do my best to find stuff for Master Attendant!”

“Hey, it ain’t your fault you sleep randomly…we _really_ need to get that habit in check,” Yellow Wine said jokingly.

Orange Juice straightened the last of the tangles out of her locks, put her hair behind her shoulder and also stood up. “I apologize for my behavior as well, Master Attendant! I know I should have come more prepared for this place. But I’ll keep searching for you!”

Reylen now let out a small, tired laugh, finally joining the others on his feet. His exhaustion now was replaced with admiration with how quickly his Food Souls were rejuvenated by Zongzi’s words. “Kinda feels like my own complaining guilt tripped you guys…”

Zongzi shook his head vigorously. “Not at all!! We just want to help you realize your vision.”

The shorter male gave a more genuine smile. Once again, he was thankful for Zongzi’s steadfast dedication to this cause.

There seemed to be one problem that was in front of them.

“....Where’s Tempura? I thought he was here with us?”

Orange Juice gave a shrug. “The last thing I remember was him going off on his own in some random direction--”

On cue, the muscled Food Soul had suddenly appeared from a few hedges, clearly frightened by something. He was waving his arms sporadically.

“ _GUYS!!!_ **_GUYS!!!!”_ **

Reylen jumped as Zongzi unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, battle ready. “Sir Tempura?! Where were you, we were wondering where you went, what _are_ you running fr--”

A huge infestation of angry Rabbert Fallens, brandishing huge carrots had appeared from the jungle, chasing Tempura...and now the rest of them.

Reylen gulped and gave one directed order to his Food Souls, of which they listened without fail.

“ **_RUN!!”_ **

Maybe it was best to abandon their exploration date today…

 

\--

 

On their way back (now covered with newly made bug bites and branches stuck in hair and skin), Reylen went to talk alongside Zongzi while the others followed slowly behind. Orange Juice and Tangyuan were talking about the beautiful sunset while carrying a few wood planks, hair messy once again but . Tempura was guffawing alongside Yellow Wine, still nursing his head from his hangover but mustering up a smile. They too, held some planks and a couple bags of some spices.

“Hey. I gotta thank you for stepping up and talking to everyone else today. I had to admit, I really didn’t think we’d get tired from this so easily,” Reylen sighed.

“And again, it is not a problem, Master Attendant. You were simply adhering to your natural needs to rest.”

Reylen shoved his hands in his pants pockets, looking at his shuffling feet as they walked. “Which is why I chose you to come along for this, you know? I couldn’t imagine doing all this by myself. I’d be so lost...You’re so reliable, Zongzi.”

He was met with chuckling. Zongzi, covering his mouth, had to wave a hand to brush Reylen’s confused look off. “I-I’m sorry, forgive me! I am only reliable because your well being is my utmost duty!”

After catching his breath, he placed a hand over his chest, eyes closed gently. “I’m just glad I was of use to you today, Master Attendant. All of what I do is for you.”

He opened his eyes again, as if realizing something. “Oh! I forgot to mention…I found these too!”

Zongzi reached into the folds of his robes, and took out a few bunches of fresh garlic, considered a rare ingredient in this side of the country.

For Reylen, it was one of his personal favourite ingredients, so he couldn’t stop himself from being a little big excited. “You...found us _that?!”_

“I couldn’t find the time to tell you that I found these. I figured to keep these until we concluded our search,” Zongzi replied bashfully.

Tempura had gone up between the two males, putting his arms over their shoulders. “Hahaha! I found some of that stinky stuff too! Master Attendant, sorry I didn’t tell you earlier!”

Reylen couldn’t stay mad at Tempura for running off so suddenly earlier; somehow his character, as overly enthusiastic as it may be, it still held some endearing qualities.

Somehow, at the end of today, even if he initially thought that his team was poorly chosen, Reylen found they still held his goal in high regard.

The pony-tailed man let them go, now racing down the hill overlooking the town. “ ** _HAAAHAHAHA!_** Let us be off then! Zongzi! Yellow Wine, let’s race back!!”

Zongzi gave an embarrassed look towards Reylen, giving one confident nod before following suit. “Shall we see who is fastest?!”

Yellow Wine, having caught up with Reylen, gave one shake of his head, declining immediately. Tempura had ran back, dragging the other male by the wrist.

“Come on!!”

“Hell no! I’m still-- _Wagh!_ ”

Orange Juice and Tangyuan had also taken up speed, following suit behind Reylen and giggling while trying to keep the planks in their arms.

Reylen knew his feet would be sore when he woke up tomorrow, but he still picked up his pace, feeling much more accomplished about today. He was convinced that exploring as a team, as weirdly picked as they were, was much more exciting than being on his own.

 

\--

_Special on the Menu_

Coffee had finally finished helping Black Tea and Milk iron out napkins in the laundry room and was about to leave to grab some stir-fried potatoes to nibble on from the kitchen. Before he could open the door, it opened slowly, revealing an extremely tired Reylen, his jacket covered in branches and his pant cuffs rolled up to his bug bitten knees.

“Should...I ask, Master Attendant?” Black Tea said, not even looking up from her work. Milk gently placed one folded napkin down, walking past Reylen.

“I’ll go grab some ointment.”

Coffee gave a smirk, his hand brushing under Reylen’s cheek.

“Nah, Milk, he’s got my lips.”

Milk’s quiet voice floated from across the hall. “Kissing those bites won’t make them heal faster.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (doesnt ice arena become unlockable at level 16)  
> Shhh. shhhhhh. I dont follow the rules most of the time, its for effect.  
> ALSO WOW FOODFAN, WAY TO MASS UPDATE THE EXPLORATION THING ALTOGETHER BEFORE I POSTED THIS LMAO
> 
> Zongzi! He's got one of my fave character traits and I kept him as my Home screen mascot for quite some time haha. I hope he's to your liking, everyone, and especially to ViolinCameos who asked for him a while back! Hug your Zongzi, y'all. He does so much, keeps you sane...
> 
> Since there was a big Exploration revamp update, I maaaaay do another Exploration chapter concerning that. In the future. I still have so many things and Food Souls to cover hehe.
> 
> Also, THANKS WAITING FOR GROWTH, I finally got Udon through extra Embers and Red Wine (after what, playing since the NA version came out in Aug? Gods). He'll show up a while yet. I've got a backlog, my dudes, but I'll defs plug away at it!
> 
> I also hit 1k hits on this fic?? You guys like it????? ;w; Once again, thank you for the ongoing support, and I'll continue to dish out lovely stories of these silly food children.


	16. Top Notch Service (Pudding)

_“One cannot think well, love well, and sleep well if one has not dined well.” - Virginia Woolf_

 

It was on the very same day that Reylen had went out to go Exploring with a few Food Souls, that Pudding was placed as the Head Server back at the Sweet Leaf.

Pudding had been newly recruited by Reylen a few days back and was quickly getting the hang of learning the ropes of both being a competent worker and being a leader towards his other fellow co-workers. Reylen discovered very quickly that Pudding was a Food Soul who liked seeing results fast and in the best, proper arrangement. Sandwich had instantly called him a ‘very strict force to be reckoned with’, which Pudding internally put aside as a compliment.

Today was no exception. Pudding (along with Crepe, Sandwich, Hawthorne Ball, and Ume Ochazuke), had been set aside by Reylen beforehand to man the store for the day. This usually wasn’t a problem for the older workers, but Pudding had quickly found out that due to their positioning, the others would...wander away from what they _should_ have been doing.

Pudding was all about order (a trait he constantly showed off especially to his Master Attendant), so unfortunately, today would be when his ideals were sorely tested upon, without Reylen’s aid.

Let’s see how this goes for Pudding.

 

\--

“Here we go! Another round of bacon fried rice! Go take it to them, Sandwich!”

Sandwich gave one appalled look at the dish in front of him before looking back up at Hawthorne Ball, who was busy flipping rice. “Hawthorne, is _this_ really all we’re cooking?”

“Uh-hyuh!”

The blond then turned to Ume Ochazuke, who was in the other side of the kitchen, chopping a few carrot sticks with a smile. “ ...Ume? She serious?!”

“She’s the Head Chef today, so yes,” she replied, one particular chop sounding like it made a dent on the wooden board underneath.

“Chop chop! More rice, more muns!!” Hawthorne Ball said gleefully.

Sandwich gave a sigh, taking the plate into the dining hall and placing it in front a young boy, who gave a smile, albeit a bit forced. They seemed to be running a bit late with bringing food out today. He walked back tiredly behind the counter where Pudding was ringing in a customer.

“Puddiiiiiing, they keep making rice, can’t they make something else? I know it’s Sweet Leaf’s thing, but our customers must be freaking _bored_ with our rice!”

The other male, having pushed his glasses up with one hand, gave Sandwich a look void of any emotion. “Sandwich, you realize that we are the only ones able to man this establishment right now, yes?”

“Y-Yeah…”

Pudding turned back to the counter, wiping it clean. His tone was bubbling with a rigidness that Sandwich still wasn’t so used to. “So. Why don’t you find another Food Soul who could, perhaps help us out, if you’re not happy with the current events taking place.”

“I...can do that?” Sandwich said incredulously.

“I’m in charge today, so it’s an order, actually.”

Sandwich blanched, then hurriedly untied his apron, racing towards the Food Souls’ quarters. “B-B-Be right back!!!”

 

\--

“Hmmmm. So you want _me_ to cook things today?”

“Yeah yeah! If that’s okay with you, Miss Spicy Gluten!”

Spicy Gluten, another new Food Soul that Reylen had summoned a few days ago, stood in the middle of the kitchen and took her surroundings in. She had a mature and alluring aura that Sandwich had thought would be best in the kitchen, and without difficulty, he had convinced her to take Hawthorne Ball’s place as Head Chef for a while. Hawthorne, in the meanwhile, sat near the entrance to the pantry farther from them, pouting as she nibbled a piece of soul fruit.

“Welllll then, let’s see what we can make here,” Spicy Gluten said, her graceful hands flipping through one of Reylen’s recipe books.

Sandwich stepped forward, his deft hands pointing towards the small yellow pieces of paper that their Master Attendant had placed. “The ones that are tabbed are the ones we can do, since we’ve only got enough ingredients to work w--”

“Ume! Let’s make this pretty dish~!” She was pointing at a picture of braised octopus, a dish that Reylen had recently learned about. The only problem was that he had only retrieved a limited amount of octopus from the market the other day. They would only be able to make a very small batch.

This didn’t stop Spicy Gluten from taking the one sole box full of of octopus out, slamming it on the kitchen counter.

“Get some green peppers, let’s make this shit happen~” Spicy Gluten ordered Ume Ochazuke, of which the latter gave a small laugh and hurried into the vegetable baskets.

Sandwich, clearly not seeing any problems, grinned and patted Hawthorne Ball on the back. He confidently made his way back into the dining hall.

“Did you find a suitable replacement?” Pudding flatly asked, not looking up from tidying up a tray.

“Yup! Things are gonna be okay!”

 

\--

Foie Gras looked up from what she was reading, re-adjusting her sitting position on top of a window sill overlooking the garden. She usually didn’t pay mind to the activities in the restaurant, due to her inability to befriend most of the Food Souls who worked there, and only busied herself with Fallen Angel missions. Since it was a break day, she had taken up Black Tea’s suggestion to try reading. She had borrowed a few books from a small bookstore down the road, and was now in the process of reading about the fallen city of Karen.

The smell of something burning downstairs seemed to be distracting her, though. Were they having trouble with the stove again? She went back to reading, hoping it was a minor occurrence that would be solved quickly.

Sandwich had ran up to her, his usual light clothes and scarf now coated black from coal.

_“F-F-FOIE GRAS, HELP??”_

She sighed, closing her book. Well, she’ll be useful for a bit at least.

 

\--

“What even _happened_ here?!” Pudding asked angrily.

The kitchen was blanketed by dark smoke, smelling of rotten seafood and fire. Ume Ochazuke was busy sweeping up some fallen plates of rice while Spicy Gluten was now arguing with Hawthorne Ball, complaining that _‘Spicy Gluten should have mentioned she couldn’t cook in the first place!!_ ’. Foie Gras was in front of the stove, calmly cooling its unruly blaze with her scepter.

Pudding turned to Sandwich, covered in soot and still sporting an embarrassed smile.

“T-T-Turns out things weren’t okay, huh?”

With a frustrated growl, Pudding shoved the dishcloth that he was holding into Sandwich’s face, taking up the other spare broom and swept up the remaining fried rice grains at their feet.

“Hawthorne! Miss Spicy Gluten! Stop bickering and please get out there, we have customers to deal with! Miss Foie Gras, since you’re there already make us a new batch of fried rice! Miss Ume, help assist Miss Foie Gras with fried rice ingredients, if you _please._ ” Pudding ordered. He was beyond angry at himself that he didn’t stop this catastrophe from escalating.

“What about me?” Sandwich quietly asked, wiping his sooty cheek clean with the dishcloth.

Pudding brushed past the other blond, his sweeping motions reflecting his already foul mood.

“Get out there. Customers are waiting.”

Before Sandwich went to disappear behind the doors leading to the dining hall, he gave Pudding a troubled look. “You sure you don’t want me to help clean up? I kinda caused this after all…”

“No, it’s my fault. Go out there.”

Sandwich, frowning, did as he was told, still not utterly convinced after seeing Pudding’s shoulders sink while sweeping.

 

\--

“Thank you, have a good ‘un!”

Hawthorne Ball gave the old man customer his change, then as he left the counter, she turned to Pudding, who was slumped over and rubbing his temples. “Heeeey, Pudding? Need to take a break?”

“I’m fine, just ring another person in,” he grumbled.

“I just did. There’s nobody in line. It’s just us and Spicy Gluten whose out cleaning tables now.”

Pudding looked up to see the restaurant looking barren, save for Spicy Gluten who was, as Hawthorne stated, doing post-rush cleanup, only to be joined up by Crepe, chest puffed up and ready to sweep the floor.

He jumped a bit when Sandwich patted his back. Only an hour ago, Pudding had told Sandwich to take a lunch break to make sure he had an able worker again, but it seemed that Pudding overlooked his own need for a break.

“Seriously! Take a breather, man! I just came back from mine and you really ought to as well.”

Pudding’s eyes were downcast as he put his head into his folded arms, slumping further on the counter. “I usually am never this fatigued. Is it because we do not have Master Attendant’s guidance today?”

Hawthorne Ball shrugged, now scarfing down a bowl of pineapple fried rice for her lunch. “Mmayfbe ish becaush you’re taking things too serious--mmff-ly!”

“Please don’t talk with your mouth full,” Pudding said, head still in his arms.

“No, but she’s got a point. Pudding, I know you were trying to help and all, but we’re supposed to be working together. I’m sorry I didn’t get the right help for today’s lunch, but I think you put a bit too much on our plate today.”

It was at that last sentence that Pudding had looked up at the other boy, his eyes now filled with bitter regret. He glanced back again to the dining hall, unfocused as Crepe and Spicy Gluten were placing new plates and napkins down onto the clean tables.

He had been told by Reylen before he started working here, that he would have to be more lenient with the others. Teamwork was something that Pudding wasn’t familiar with; he was a solo broker himself. Him working with anyone, in lieu of his authoritarian attitude, wasn’t something he saw himself easily doing.

But today, he had realized that he didn’t even consider Reylen’s request to take care of the place. Pudding put order above anything else, but he had forgotten that his kitchen team was how order would have been established in the first place.

His personality had always been like this, for as long as he can remember being summoned. He had only become so strict because in a previous instance, he had been assigned to take care of another Food Soul that had yet to appear in Reylen’s group...

“Are you this strict because you’re...waiting for her?” Sandwich questioned, his assumption met with Pudding’s confirming nod.

“...I wouldn’t like to admit it, but, yes. I am.”

When the day came when the person he was assigned to look after was summoned, Pudding could only make do with what he had now...to be as competent as the rest of Reylen’s Food Souls. But he may have blocked them out a bit too much today.

Pudding straightened up from his slumped position, fixing his glasses. “...I apologize. I have caused more difficulties than most for all of you today.”

“It’s alright! Just ask for help next time, dude!” Sandwich said happily, slapping another pat on Pudding’s back, resulting in the glasses boy to give out a strained cough. “Now go and eat lunch, you’re due!”

Before Pudding could leave for the kitchen, they were interrupted by the restaurant door opening to Reylen and the exploration group. Crepe and Spicy Gluten both put their brooms down to hug Orange Juice and Tangyuan, who looked worse for wear with branches sticking to them.

“ ** _HAAAAHAHAHA!_ ** I won! I’m gonna treat myself to some apples in the pantry!!” Tempura shouted merrily, while Zongzi and Yellow Wine had followed from behind, breathing ragged. They seemed to have had a race beforehand.

“Master Attendaaaaant! Welcome back!!” Hawthorne Ball pronounced happily as the taller make approached them at the counter.

“Guessing you guys behaved well?”

“Uh-hyuh! Pudding did well to keep us together!” Sandwich interjected, grinning.

“No, I did n--” Pudding started, but felt Sandwich’s foot tap against the back of his legs.

Reylen carefully opened the door leading to the kitchen, nodding to himself as he went back to the trio. “Yeah, looks good! Did you guys clean while I was away?”

“Y-Yeah! Had the extra time to!” Sandwich answered, his stutter quite prominent. “I...uh….Hawthorne! Let’s do dishes!”

“Ehhhh?! But you _hate_ doing dishes!” the girl replied as she followed Sandwich into the kitchen. Pudding was about to follow suit, when Reylen placed a hand on his shoulders. It surprised Pudding, to feel the contrast between his stiffened limbs to Reylen’s gentle, supportive touch.

“You guys did a good job,” Reylen said, mustering a smile on his face despite him sporting branches everywhere.

Pudding knew that Reylen was thanking all three of them, but Reylen had directed his look specifically at him. He just knew Reylen wanted to reassure him, despite what happened today.

Sometimes, every once in a while, the strict Pudding can take these forms of gratitude.

“...Of course, Master Attendant! Thank you.”

 

\--

_Side Dishes!_

 

Foie Gras carefully undid the tie on her bright lime green apron, hanging it with the others in the pantry. Before she could leave the kitchen, Hawthorne Ball stopped her, a sly smile on her lips.

“Foie Graaaas, did you make the pineapples extra cold on this rice? Didja know I _like_ that sort of thing for it?”

The elegant woman couldn’t help but give a smile at the pigtailed girl. Earlier, it was Ume who had taken up the rest of the cooking while Foie Gras went to prepare ingredients (at Ume’s firm request), but only Foie Gras knew how Hawthorne Ball took her favourite dish. 

Well, back to reading about Karen City. Now that Master Attendant was back home, dinner would probably go without any more major problems…probably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (foie gras: are things ok  
> Pudding, while fanning a huge flame over the stove, chaos behind him: ya  
> Spicy Gluten to audience, giving a cartoon wink: things were not ok)
> 
> Very quick chapter today! It's been a bit of a rough spot for me mentally, but I really wanted to dish something out. I'm preparing for school so the anxiety of that is already kicking in... Once I get my schedule, I'll have to lay back with dishing out chapters for a bit (but I'm definitely aint gonna put this in the backburner! This fic is one of my only joys in life atm!)
> 
> It's hard to write about freshness so, I'll probably delve into in a bit more once I get the Ice Arena chapter in. And sorry, Pudding, you're gonna have to wait a tad for Jello. That's just how it be when you wanna summon the other half to your pair... (eyes Red Wine)
> 
> Thank you for your ongoing support <3


	17. Heating Up! (Tempura)

_“Food is the most primitive form of comfort” - Sheila Graham_

 

Reylen would like to believe he was a health-conscious person. His mother used to tell him to put as much citrus and leafy greens into his system, for fear of becoming so ovewhelmed that his goals for the day would be outnumbered just by a preventable sickness.

_“Always make sure you can avert any sickness from happening, you have the ability to!”_

But ever since he opened the Sweet Leaf, he had been paying more mind about the restaurant’s sales and further repairs (especially the prospects of an Ice Rink for his Food Souls) than his overall health. His mother would be disappointed to hear that recently he ate leftover scraps instead of full meals and forgot to take some fruits before some meals.

Reylen had only gotten seriously sick twice in his lifetime; one, by pox when he was very little and more vulnerable to the world, and catching the school’s flu bug back when he was at the cooking academy.

The third time that Reylen got seriously sick, was a few days after he had gone exploring.

 

\--

“At least you fell ill on a day when the restaurant was closed.”

Reylen was nestled in a bunch of blankets in his quarters, being tended by Milk. A few days prior, he had left a slight cough go unnoticed (probably received due to the Jungle’s fumes and the slight rain they had been caught under while exploring) and the bug bites he had received seemed to have triggered a slight allergic reaction. Foie Gras also admitted that she may have cooked his last dinner with frozen ingredients…Alongside his waning energy from lack of sleep, it resulted in his current position.

This still didn’t stop him from trying to leave his bed, regardless of his malady.

“I...still gotta do…(cough)...the cheques…”

“Black Tea has that done already,” Milk replied quietly, pushing Reylen back into the covers and pulling the heavy comforter over so that all that peeked through was his reddened nose.

“The...cupboards…store front…(cough, cough)...need dusting,” Reylen continued hoarsely.

“I will inform Brownie and Tom Yum to do that chore,” she responded, replacing a hot towel cloth on Reylen’s forehead.

“Milk...did we bring in the...the...I forgot what it...(cough cough)...was--”

The long haired woman gave a soft, exasperated sigh while patting Reylen’s hair down. “Please, Master Attendant, you need to _rest._ ”

Reylen’s bedroom door suddenly opened, revealing a beaming Tempura holding a stack of blankets and towels.

“ ** _MASTER ATTENDANT!! ARE YOU BETTER YET?!”_ **

Milk had immediately left Reylen’s side to quickly whack Tempura with the cloth she was holding. “Please lower your voice.”

Tempura winced and quickly apologized, now placing his stack on Reylen’s dresser. He gave one look over at the bedridden male, his eyebrows knitted with worry. “...Does he need anything?”

“Asides from rest, no.”

The blond looked away pondering, then as if he had been struck by lightning, hurried out as fast as he had arrived. “Lunch!! He needs lunch! Let me cook something for Master Attendant!”

Milk watched him clamber downstairs, exhaling slowly from the previous ruckus. She went to close the door and went back to sitting near Reylen, now sleeping.

“Everyone’s worried for you. Please rest,” she whispered, as she opened a book to read to pass the time.

She could just _sense_ today was going to be a little bit more stressful.

 

\--

Tempura had gathered a few Food Souls in the kitchen (Tom Yum, Crepe, Napoleon Cake and Brownie), and they had all huddled around Reylen’s recipe book, searching for one particular dish.

“So, game plan, you’re saying that we should cook…soup?” Tom Yum asked.

Tempura nodded vigorously. “Yes! In order for Master Attendant to be back on his feet faster! I heard that chicken soup is a good remedy to chase away sickness!”

“ _C'est vrai!_ I’ve heard it’s quite comforting to eat as well!” Napoleon Cake mentioned, flipping through the recipe book to find the right page to read.

Crepe fanned herself, sporting a pessimistic look on her features. “Uh-huh. And what does this recipe call for again?”

“Chickens!” Tempura answered proudly.

“And _where_ are we getting these chickens, may I ask?” Crepe said, frowning as she leaned on the counter, cheek cupped in her hand.

“I…uh...I didn’t get to that part yet…”

Crepe responded with a foul huff.

Brownie, sensing to check the pantry, went into the small ice box that they held certain items in to keep fresh. He came back to the counter with a full steel bowl of a whole chicken. “We’ve got at least three of these, two are still in storage,” Brownie said, with a content smile

Crepe and Napoleon Cake both turned their heads at the instant smell it gave off.

“ ** _THAT_ ** _horrid thing?!_ ”

“ _Mon dieu,_ it reeks!”

Tempura, meanwhile, slapped Brownie on the back, guffawing. “PERFECT! Smells perfect!! We’ve got three whole chickens?! Isn’t that how much it takes to make a bowl?”

Brownie, wincing, replied, “No, I’m sure it’s just one chicken.”

The pony tailed man laughed, giving another rough smack on Brownie’s back, causing the boy to fall over the counter. “We can just make extra!! Now, what else do we need for the soup?!”

Napoleon Cake peered at the recipe book, dragging his finger down the page. “...We also need...erm, how do you pronounce this word…?”

Tempura went over, squinting at the tiny font. “Ah, OK! We need two large shiitake!”

“She?....Sheeeeee-talk-ee? Shit….shit...turkey…? _Shit-turkey??_ ” the brunet muttered, trying to let the new word come into practice with his tongue. His pride and stubbornness were trying to win over this word’s pronunciation.

“I’ll go check!” Tom Yum said, running back into the pantry, while the others tried to tell Napoleon Cake to ease up with the word slaughter. A few moments later, and the purple haired boy walked back to the group, looking more sullen for wear.

“...Tom Yum? Did you find…?” Tempura started to ask.

The boy’s voice was shaky, as if suddenly the world had fallen in front of his somber face. “.... _We don’t…we ran out_ ... _s-s-should I run to the m-m-market….?”_

“No, hold up...did you check the shelves to the far left of the pantry,” Brownie asked.

Tom Yum, upon hearing this, perked up and raced back into the storage. He was much quicker than the last instance; in his hands, he held a good pile of the mushrooms they needed, giving a small, hopeful smile.

“This should do, right Big Bro Tempura?”

“It sure will!” Tempura laughed, taking a few cutting boards off from their hangers from the walls.

“Brownie! Napoleon Cake! Get the extra huge soup pot from the bottom cupboard and some water boiling! Crepe, help Tom Yum with cutting up the shiitake, remember to let it soak so we can use it as broth!”

Everyone gave a shout, getting themselves into place throughout the kitchen.

Tempura now readied a sharp boning knife, twirling it deftly between his fingers. Grinning, he set the chicken down on the cutting board. “I’ll get this chicken ready! We’ve got a soup to make for Master Attendant!!”

 

\--

Milk looked up from her book to see Black Tea coming into the room, carrying a tray with a pitcher of water. She placed it on the bedside table, filling a small glass in case Reylen did wake up.

“How is he?” the dark haired woman asked.

“He’s alright. He’s been sleeping for a good hour or so.”

“I see…,” Black Tea took a seat at the foot of Reylen’s bed, her eyes swimming with uneasiness. Milk had gotten up from her seat, placing a gentle hand over her partner’s shoulder.

“Usually it would be Master Attendant fussing over us, wouldn’t it,” her quiet voice brought Black Tea back to the room. She replied with a small laugh.

“He is truly a reliable one, isn’t he.”

They both felt movement from the corner of their eyes and looked towards the ill man, whose eyes were scrunched shut, his lips moving slightly. Black Tea went forward, straining to listen.

_“I’m sorry…useless...I’m…”_

Instantaneously, she replied with a smile brimming with heartache, “We have established this. _No,_ _you are not_. Sleep, Master Attendant.”

 

\--

“...Will this thing just _boil_ already?!” Crepe fumed, crossing her arms in front of the stove and watching the huge wad of cut chicken  & shiitake float in its light broth. Napoleon Cake gave a chuckle, giving the mixture a stir.

“Isn’t there a weird human saying about that? _Things do not happen if you watch the pot_ , or something like that?”

“... _A watched pot never boils,_ you mean?” Crepe said bluntly.

“Ah, _oui_...that. See, weird human saying, like that _shit-turkey_...”

Tom Yum, meanwhile, had finished wiping down the last cutting board and left it to dry on the drying rack. He gave Brownie a long face. “I’m so booored, can I juggle some bowls?”

“Absolutely not.”

The young kick-boxer huffed, taking a bar stool and decided to watch Tempura clean and chop the last of the spare shiitake. “Whaddya gonna do with those?”

“I’m gonna keep them in our mini fridge overnight and boil some new soup broth tomorrow for Master Attendant!” Tempura replied happily. He placed the chopped bits into a small bowl, walking towards the pantry. Once he came back, he found Brownie cleaning the countertop he had just been working on, while Tom Yum hummed to himself, his face deep in thought.

“Master Attendant...he’s not gonna _die_ , is he?”

The question had made everyone turn to Tom Yum, mixed emotions stewing as thick as their soup.

Brownie, looking more shocked over the boy’s speculation, shook his head, now wiping the counter with a bit more force than usual. “No! Of course not! Master Attendant will get through this.”

“Yeah, but what if he’s...not _that_ strong, you know?” Crepe muttered, tapping the edge of her folded fan to her troubled lips.

“Yes he is!” Brownie said firmly.

“But are you _really_ sure about that?! Humans are so fragile!” Napoleon Cake lamented.

“You guys,” Tempura interrupted, trying to cut through everyone’s apprehension with his usual grin-and-hear-it persona. “Have some faith in Master Attendant! He’s counting on us to make sure he’s back on his feet! We need to believe that he’ll be okay!”

A loud crash broke everyone’s reverie; all eyes turned to a really embarrassed Tom Yum, still seated on the barstool but several bowls now laid shattered on the kitchen floor. How he managed to sneak a stack from the drying racks behind him, was beyond anyone’s belief.

Brownie sighed, rubbing his temples together with one hand. “....We are in _so_ much shit.”

 

\--

After hearing a ruckus downstairs (she usually was the one who had to count the costs of broke dishes), Black Tea, with a huff, had informed Milk to bring Coffee in so she could investigate. Coffee then reassured Milk that it would be okay if it was just him keeping an eye on their Master Attendant, resulting in her going downstairs as well.

The course of the afternoon had been Reylen sleeping his sickness off. He had also been tossing and turning, sweating profusely and even half-opening his eyes in a daze, which led to Coffee hastily switching from the heavy comforter to a lighter cotton bed-sheet at one point.

Coffee leaned over, wiping Reylen’s sweaty brow and neck. He brushed a few damp hair strands off Reylen’s face while placing another steamed cloth over his beloved’s forehead. The Master Attendant was clinging onto the sheets, possibly experiencing a nightmare. He had been turning constantly before but now it seemed that Reylen was much too tired to even move his head. Yet Coffee could hear Reylen muttering incoherent nonsense under his breath, only furthering Coffee’s internal concern for his partner.

_“....mm...please...sorry…”_

Coffee went to take Reylen’s hand, squeezing it gently. Almost instantly, the other male had stopped fussing, lacing his fingers weakly in between Coffee’s. The blond felt a smile tug at his worried face.

“Oh love...rest easy. I’m here.”

 

\--

“I was told to check to see if you hadn’t burn the place down. If you had done so, I would have had to wake Master Attendant to such news. But it…seems all you did was make material costs go up again,” Black Tea firmly scolded at Tempura and Tom Yum, who had been assigned to sweep up the remains of the broken bowls.

One certain bowl, a deep dish, had been set aside for the soup to be poured in, but there was also strife over what contents was to be put in said bowl.

“ _Mon dieu!_ You can’t just put a full _shit_ - _turkey_ in his bowl!” Napoleon Cake fretted.

“Are you _daft?!_ It’s a _CHICKEN!_ But yes, we can’t just put a whole _CHICKEN_ in Master Attendant’s bowl! That’s obscene!” Crepe also complained.

Brownie had offered to take Tempura’s broom, nodding at the pony tailed man. Tempura grinned, then went towards the two bickering Food Souls.

“It’s _fine_ , you guys! Master Attendant needs some good ol’ meat in his diet anyway!” He place the bowl onto a tray, poured enough broth into the bowl, and nodded confidently at his handiwork.

“Everyone! Let’s bring this up to Master Attendant! He’s bound to be hungry now!”

 

\--

Twilight had finally reached the bedroom windows and Reylen finally awoke, both to the blinding rays of the setting sun and to the smell of a very salty yet nostalgic scent. He opened his eyes to see that his bed was surrounded by a few of his Food Souls, their faces instantly lighting up.

“....W-What’s going on?” he spoke, his voice grainy.

“Master Attendant! Food!” Tempura said happily, showing off a tray with a huge bowl.

He was helped to sit up in bed by Coffee and Milk, then had the tray gently placed in front of him. It looked like they had cut up a whole chicken and had let it float on the surface of a pleasant smelling broth. It faintly reminded Reylen of his mother’s cooking.

“...Chicken soup?”

“Yeah! Go on, try it!”

Before Reylen could take the soup spoon, Milk had already taken it, dipping it into the clear broth and gently blowing on it. She carefully brought it to the slate-haired man’s mouth, of which Reylen took with a slow gulp. Its warmth quickly spread throughout his body, a clear contrast of the chills he had slept through earlier.

Milk had another spoonful ready and Reylen coarsely laughed. “It’s kind of embarrassing to be fed like this…”

Reylen finally noticed that his clammy hand was holding onto Coffee’s. “....I’m sorry! Was I holding on to you this entire time?!”

“Haha, Master Attendant, I wouldn’t have let go even if you wanted me to.”

Reylen felt more warmth spread into his cheeks.

As Milk and Brownie took the tray and water pitcher away after Reylen got a few spoonfuls in, Tempura went to kneel beside Reylen. “Did I--err, we, do a good job?”

Reylen looked up at Tempura’s expectant face. “Of course. You and everyone else here...you guys did good.”

Somehow, seeing Tempura’s widened, appeased grin made Reylen’s body feel even more surges of warmth. Like looking at the sun….so bright, so invigorating.

“Master Attendant! No dying on us!” Tom Yum and Crepe both said together, both leaning at the foot of Reylen’s bed.

Reylen gave a half-tilted smile. “I’m not _that_ sick…But thanks, you guys. I really appreciate what you guys d--”

Tom Yum and Crepe interrupted Reylen with a ecstatic cheer, going over but not before getting pulled by the scruff by Black Tea and Napoleon Cake.

“No, you don’t want to catch what he has too!”

“But we’re _Food Souls!!_ I don’t think a hug can get us sick!”

“ _Non!_ Look at how sweaty he is!”

“Oh, I did NOT notice that! Master Attendant, do get changed! You look worse for wear!”

Reylen now couldn’t stop laughing, both at his now relieved Food Souls and how much stress he had put them through. He didn’t think he’d laugh it off previously, but being surrounded by their doting behavior and love had helped him accept that it is, how it is.

Getting sick was such a hassle and today served as another personal lesson for Reylen. Having his Food Souls help him get better was his greatest bout of medicine though, so it wasn’t all that bad to be taken cared of, for just a little while.

\--

_An Apple a Day…_

 

_Black Tea diary entry # 8.5: Sickness (Aftermath)_

Master Attendant Reylen steadily got better in a few more days. I have restricted him from eating oily and fried foods for the time being, having him eat apples as soon as he wakes up. Fruits are the easiest way to get your immune system back together, or so I have read. Master Attendant does not mind the apple dishes, since I asked Tempura to cut them up into rabbit shapes to make the visuals more appealing.

He is also being fed Tempura’s special chicken soup, which has managed to become a hit with the other Food Souls, myself included. We must buy more chickens to make more of this interesting dish. The days are getting colder and darker so it seems necessary to stock up on such a precious dish.

As usual, myself and my other half will take turns overlooking his physical progress, as he is very vital to myself and the other Food Souls. He has put me in charge of the Sweet Leaf’s operations, but I will make sure he takes better care of himself from now on.

  
_(A hastily written extra note):_ I must remind Coffee not to distract Master Attendant as he’s resting during the afternoon. What a stupidly provocative man. He thinks sharing Master Attendant’s bed will ‘help him get better faster.’ It only works when Master Attendant feels better!! Isn’t that counterproductive, wouldn’t Coffee get sick too?! The nerve...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who got a tiny bit sick and probably had a strong influence for this chapter hahahaha being sick SUCKS.
> 
> My first time writing a sick chap! I also made a chicken soup a while back during my own reprieve of sickness, which led to the creation of this. Making homemade soup is so homely hehe. Anyways, stay healthy y'all. Winter be coming. 
> 
> Anyone else, like, real freaked about the barrage of events that we just got? What a SEAFOOD buffet (and uh, Raindrop Cake)! If I SOMEHOW manage to get at least Miss Seaweed, you can be sure a chapter (or hell, a side-fic) will be made exclusively for her. As for Caviar....(fumes!!!!!)
> 
> And yes, that new Zongzi skin is GORGEOUS. Ohhh, why am I broooooke....
> 
> Anyways! School is coming up for me, so my chapter updates maaaay be a bit slower, but rest assured! This fic shall keep on <3 Thank you once again for the ongoing support!


	18. Glacial Bluff (Sandwich)

_"Life is only a flicker of melted ice." - Dejan Stojanovic, The Sun Watches the Sun  
_

 

Keeping foods fresh for as long as they’re able to is basic knowledge of a chef. All food contracts bacteria that will eventually spoil good meals. Cold temperatures help slow the growth of bacteria that all food contains, and thus, having an ice box or an ice house is very important to those who deal with food on a regular business basis.

For Reylen, he knew from the beginning that he needed a safe place to store certain foods in order to keep them as fresh as possible, both for the sake of his foods tasting acceptable to the public and for his business to be kept afloat. He was given an small ice box as a graduation gift from his father and had an upgraded freezer for his meat products.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that he also needed to make a specialized ‘ice box’ for his Food Souls, as they were also prone to ‘spoil’ in their own way (exhaustion, he found out). Reylen had asked for advice on this from his superior, Olivia, and was told to create an Ice Arena, a specialized place for his Food Souls to restore their Freshness.

After a couple of weeks of gaining enough materials for the creation of an Ice Rink and the hurdle of getting Reylen out of a sudden sickness, they finally were able to have a pair of Tofu Brothers head to the building’s basement to build an ice room big enough to fit about 8 people.

It proved to be quite the center of activity, as most of his Food Souls that didn’t even work in the restaurant was very curious about their newest building edition. It was natural to be curious about such a thing.

Reylen had decided that on their next closed day, he would introduce his Food Souls to their newfound leisure center. It would prove to be both a good way to get accustomed to the ice and…they probably needed the break anyway.

 

\--

“Master Attendaaaaant, can we see it now?” Sandwich whined for what was probably the 50th time today.

“Sandwich, what did I say,” Reylen replied curtly, neatly putting away some folded napkins in their designated drawers in the kitchen.

The shorter blond huffed impatiently. “....To be patient.”

“Uh-huh. And what are you right now?”

" _REEEEEALLY_ wanting to see the new skating rink!” the youth replied fervently. He followed Reylen into the pantry where the taller of the two opened up a tall freezer. He started to sort the milk and butter in order of what was to go out first, but only turned to the younger boy after registering what Sandwich had said.

“It's not a skating rink,” Reylen said, giving the youth an exasperated look.

“Yeah it is. There’s ice, meaning you can skate on it, meaning it’s TOTALLY a skating rink,” Sandwich counter argued.

Reylen sighed. “Technically, it’s a freezer that you and the others who work at the restaurant to cool off in. It’s not supposed to be a place for play.”

“ _Whaaaaat?!_ ” Sandwich exclaimed. “But that takes the fun out of it! Isn’t it totally made to be played in?!”

“I don’t want you guys ruining the place that I was _just_ able to afford to build!”

Sandwich huffed again, crossing his arms in frustration. Reylen was only beginning to pinpoint how Sandwich’s personality fluctuated from elation to bitter disappointment. The kid was easy to read, despite his ‘gambling’ persona. Reylen had heard somewhere that different people had similar Food Souls but cultivated their own personalities alongside their Master Attendant (which worried Reylen immensely).

“Oi, rink’s ready.”

Both looked up to see a tall, brunet male at the pantry entryway, sporting a blank expression on his face. Pastel de Nata was summoned a day ago and had been more interested in Reylen’s baking supplies than Reylen and the other Food Souls. This was perhaps the first instance he finally spoke since his summoning.

“Oh it is?” Reylen asked. “Then le--”

Before he could finish, Sandwich whooped, running past the slate-haired man and down the halls, “WOO!! I gotta tell Hawthorne and Pudding! **_GUUUUUUYS!!!--”_ **

Reylen and Pastel de Nata both exchanged tired looks, and then the long haired brunet shrugged it off.

“Troublesome.”

 

\--

The basement had been transformed into a walk-in ice box. The Tofu Brothers that had built it had made the background of the surrounding ice rink familiar to the inside of one’s freezer, chock full of delicious food items (unfortunately inedible, solely for decoration). The room was at the right freezing temperature for the rink’s sheet of ice to be clean of impurities.

Of course, such details flew past some under-dressed Food Souls.

“ _AAAAACHOO!”_ Hawthorne Ball, Tom Yum and Tempura both sneezed at the same time. “It's f-f-f-freezing in here!!”

“ _Oui_ , no shit!! Have you seen yourselves?!” Napoleon Cake pointed out. The trio gave sheepish looks and shrugs in return.

Black Tea, dressed in a light lavender shawl, went over to give scarves and beanie hats to the shivering trio. She had prepared beforehand, having thought that such preparations were necessary for today. Milk was also quietly tailing behind with a bundle of blankets, mittens and hats, also sporting a matching lavender shawl.

Meanwhile, Reylen was giving instructions to a few more Food Souls who were ready to try the ice.

“So let’s review! We can’t afford skates for everyone right now, so you have to be extra careful out there. Don’t go too fast if you’re not confident enough out there. If you guys need to fall, bend your knees and squat to a dip. Fall sideways, try not to smack the ice too hard. Use your hands to cover your face and head, we don’t want you to hurt yourselves too much. If you’re sliding too fast, try to crash land into the snow banks around the arena.”

He took another glance at his notes, then looked up towards the others. “Anyone else?”

Taiyaki raised her hand. “Um, um! No looking down? Look forward!!”

“Yup! Very good!”

Tangyuan shot up a mitten hand as well, despite being buried in an oversized blanket. “Is floating okay?!”

“Tangyuan, you always float, it’s perfectly okay.”

Jiuniang shyly raised her hand. “C-Can we hold someone’s hand for balance?”

Reylen knelt to Jiuniang’s eye level, smiling tenderly. “Of course. You wanna hold my hand?” He was met with her eager nod as she hurriedly joined her side. He stood up again, now giving room for the group to enter the arena.

“Alright! Now that we’ve got it settled, let’s go out there!”

A few sprinted out into the sheet of ice (Tempura and Tom Yum, prominently), immediately meeting with the natural result of slipping forward. Some took curious, slow steps, knees wobbling at first and getting themselves accustomed to the right position.

Foie Gras helped assist a terrified Sashimi onto the ice, whispering reassurances that she won’t let them fall, while Taiyaki eagerly pulled her equally ecstatic brother Dorayaki around the rink. A few Food Souls weren’t as eager to try stepping on the ice; Napoleon Cake sat cross-legged on the snow bank’s edge beside Pastel de Nata, shivering under his scratchy blanket and nibbling on piping hot egg tarts. Crepe decided to rest on top of one of the prop grapes, declining Macaron’s every offer to try skating as she deemed it to be ‘far too hazardous for such a dainty lady such as herself’.

Reylen was slow to walking around the ice rink, keeping a tight hold onto Jiuniang’s hand. She kept looking up at Reylen, giggling as she got used to the slip and sliding feeling of skating.

“Oiiii, gimme a turn with the little miss,” Yellow Wine said from a few feet away, smirking as he held his hand out.

The girl hesitated for a moment, looking up at Reylen, to which he consoled to her, “It’s okay, he’ll catch you.”

“O-Okay….B-B-Big Brother Yellow, please catch me…!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve gotcha.”

Reylen gently pulled Jiuniang towards Yellow Wine, letting go of her small hand. She slid towards the other male, her arms spread out. Before she could fall over, Yellow Wine had taken one stride to take both of her hands and straightening her back in place. “See? Always gotcha.”

Her shy smile towards Yellow Wine warmed Reylen as the two set off. He felt a small bump on his arm and the slate haired man turned to see Coffee, properly wearing his dark coat that usually hung over his shoulders. The blond then attempted to wrap the other end of his blue scarf around Reylen’s neck, to which the latter laughed and brushed the scarf end away.

“Thaaaat won’t work, we’ll just fall together.”

“Isn’t that what I’m aiming for though? We’ll cushion each other’s fall,” Coffee countered, re adjusting his scarf over his shoulders

“No, that’s both dumb and dangerous.”

Coffee gave a mock whine. “Awww, don’t you wanna be like those two, gliding side by side?”

Reylen followed Coffee’s finger that pointed to the other end of the rink. Black Tea and Milk were, as Coffee had described, skating with effortless ease. Milk, with her long white locks fluttering, had hooked her arm around Black Tea’s, her eyes closed in such a serene way that Reylen was worried that she may be sleeping. Black Tea’s lips were moving, pointing out the small details of the rink. They were such a beautiful, majestic couple to see, even off the battlefield.

Reylen turned back to Coffee, giving a tilted smile. “You, uh, good at skating yet though?” Reylen himself wasn’t so confident on the ice, and most definitely not on such a comfortable level as Black Tea and Milk.

“Not so much as them, no. But we can most definitely try together,” Coffee replied. He moved beside the shorter male, gently looping his fingers between the crevices of Reylen’s hand.

Reylen could never get enough of the fact that Coffee’s larger hand can fit so perfectly in his. He gave a small squeeze, smiling softly up at his partner.

But before they could try to go round, Sandwich had raced in front of the pair, laughing while Hawthorne Ball raced to catch up. Reylen almost got knocked over, having felt the hard breeze that the two left, and was steadied by Coffee. He sighed in frustration, then shouted at the two. “You guys! Be careful around the rink!

“Hawthooooorne!! Didn’t you hear Master Attendant?! Be caaaaareful~!” Sandwich shouted back. His words didn’t match the giddy expression his face, as he skid through the rink at an increasing speed.

It only took a mere second before Sandwich realized his confidence would be short lived--he had felt his one foot slide a bit farther than usual and had caught the one end of his scarf that had managed to slip off his neck. He felt his heel bring his body backwards, slamming onto the ice. Pain shot through his back and the back of his head (you don’t often hear your own skull crack) and his body skidded to a stop near a snow bank.  He last saw the ceiling of the Ice Rink before his vision got fuzzy. Was that Hawthorne Ball crying at his side?

He had been betting that skating at that speed would’ve been safe…!

 

\--

Sandwich woke up to the vision of the infirmary’s boring gray ceiling. As his eyes started to focus more, he saw a worried Reylen and Tempura at the foot of his bed. He was then met with Hawthorne Ball hugging him tightly and the feeling of bandages falling over his face. Milk was at his other side, lifting the bandages back up and wrapping them tightly.

“Glad you came to,” Reylen said, his voice wooden. The youth gave a worried smile at the Master Attendant, awkwardly patting Hawthorne Ball’s back.

“S-Should I apologize?”

“You can now, yeah.”

Sandwich took a shaky exhale and hugged Hawthorne Ball back, his face buried into her shoulder from embarrassment. He didn’t remember how he got here, but he sure did remember how this all escalated. “...’m sorry.” He felt stupid for answering so curtly but shame was burning throughout him.

Reylen nodded towards Tempura as if confirming that they were in the clear, as the other male smiled and exited the room. He also patted Hawthorne Ball’s back, motioning for her to head off so he can privately talk with Sandwich. After one troubled glance, the pig-tailed girl also departed while Reylen went to sit at the foot of Sandwich’s bed.

The infirmary had a chilling silence that Sandwich felt incredibly uncomfortable in. He’s learned about Reylen’s way of handling with anger which was...he usually didn’t. He was a man that dealt with confrontation with simple talk.

But the frigid atmosphere between them could possibly freeze the Ice Rink even further downstairs. The boy gave a few gulps, eyes glancing to anywhere but Reylen’s face for fear of seeing just what emotion he had (or little of it). Just like a poker face...only it scared Sandwich a little.

Reylen broke the ice first, his face turned elsewhere. His tone made Sandwich feel more cold seep through his sore back.

“We had to get you carried up here. Milk was lucky to have healed you fast enough before any permanent damage happened to your head.”

The blond felt the back of his head, wincing at the firm bump that his bandages covered. It was going to be a harsh reminder for Sandwich for quite a while.

“So, not to put you on the spot here Sandwich, but, _what are you right now?_ ”

Reylen’s tone seemed to cut like a sharp knife, but Sandwich knew this was necessary. He had been asked this already.

“I am…err, I was impatient.”

“You were. Don’t do this again.”

Sandwich didn’t like this sharp, wintry side of Reylen’s. He rarely showed it and Sandwich was fully regretting that he was the one to have to experience it. He’d have taken yelling anyday. He knew he wasn’t a newly created Food Soul, but the boy couldn’t differentiate his newfound emotions just yet. Perhaps it was the throbbing in his head that prevented him from understanding how his cocksure confidence got him in this position. Perhaps it was too complicated for him to perceiving the difference between his ideal of fun and safety. He didn’t know what Reylen’s level of tolerance was, but seeing as Sandwich was now like _this_ , he had pushed over that boundary. And now Reylen was mad at him. For good reason. Why’d he bother to keep watch of him when Sandwich didn’t listen to a speck of Reylen’s advice in the first place?

It was too much.

He felt frustrated tears begin to fall from his face and immediately went to bury his face in his hands, sobbing. Shame made his shoulders shake. Hiccups took over his throat. Yet, the weight on his bed moved closer to Sandwich and he was enveloped in Reylen’s arms.

“I-I’m--You _just_ b-b-built it too--I didn’t--I _shouldn’t_ have-- _I’m sorry, I’m sorry_ \--” Sandwich was a mess, bubbling more tears against Reylen’s rough white jacket

“Please. Don’t do that again. Don’t _scare_ us like that again.” The Master Attendant’s voice now held the familiar warmth that Sandwich and the rest of the Food Souls were used to. He didn’t understand. Reylen’s steady tone kept going.

“When you hit the ice, I thought, _was that it? Did I just lose a Food Soul to a stupid thing such as ice skating?_ I panicked. I told Tempura to race upstairs with you and Milk had to tell me repeatedly that you’re not like a regular human being and you wouldn’t be as badly injured as I thought you’d be. But...please…”

Reylen pulled Sandwich back, his dark eyes swimming just as much as Sandwich’s. Sandwich felt much warmer than before and pulled his Master Attendant in for another hug, and another cry.

Hawthorne Ball always reminded Sandwich that their Master Attendant was a caring person. He always thought to put their well being first--them having a new life, working at an amazing restaurant, even building an Ice Rink that ensures that they would be in refreshed, tiptop shape--and Sandwich was only realizing that Reylen’s anger was only masking the same old fear that he would lose his Food Souls one day.

Even to something as stupid as not listening to his warnings.

 _We don’t deserve such a kindhearted person_ , Sandwich internally voiced out, but rubbing the back of a quieted Reylen proved him wrong.

“...So, I uh, d-didn’t bleed too much on the ice, did I No sandwich brains scattered?” the blond shyly whispered.

Reylen gave a small chuckle-hiccup, mirroring the youth’s smile. “No, remarkably! Don’t...actually attempt for anything to be scattered in the future, okay?”

This time, Sandwich would be sure to be much more obedient with such advice.

 

\--

_Thawed Out_

 

The Ice Rink was solely for certain employees of the Sweet Leaf, but every now and then, Sandwich had run into Black Tea and Milk skating by themselves in the rink, quietly giggling to each other as they did tricky skating jumps that nobody hadn’t seen before.

There had even been one instance where Black Tea had managed to lift Milk up by her waist, holding her gently as they made a swift round over the ice. They looked like divine angels, lost in their own reverie, dancing on top of the frosted surface.

“You guys! We have a mission to head to!!” Crepe shouted at the pair during a particular session where Milk was thrown jumped in the air.

“Oh! Of course!” Black Tea replied, successfully catching Milk in her arms. Unfortunately, the surprise order made the catch buckle Black Tea’s legs in and they both fell on their behinds. Both ladies grinned to each other.

  
Crepe stomped her foot, waving her fan irritably. “My _goodness_ , be lovey-dovey later!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you ever think about characters in heels (Macaron, Ume Ochazuke) and skating in the rink like that, they're far more powerful than us.
> 
> I felt pretty guilty putting Sandwich up as the 'kid who learns from his hubris' this time. I had only just learned that you can drag your Food Souls around your Ice Arena like hockey pucks but ohhh, my internal parental instincts just, wrote the last half of this haha. He'll be better soon! I hope certain Sandwich-P's don't schick my ass for what I did...I love the guy too!! sdjflads;
> 
> SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN UNDER A WEEK!! I got my first special avatar frame (the steward badge for Airship!). Seaweed Soup, Cold Rice Shrimp, TOASTY DAD came home! I also got American Cornbread and then suddenly a skin comes out for her? You can't just!! HHGHGH. And yes, the Magic Pen. I'm uh, tempted to write my thoughts about it, come the day when Reylen and Coffee sign their contract together... :3c
> 
> I may just do chapter updates on the weekends, but school has only just started so I can't tell just yet how much my work load will be (I mean, kinda already did my first essay hhgghg). 
> 
> Thank you for the ongoing support <3 
> 
> Please stay tuned--I've been wanting to delve into the next subject for quite some time now, and I hope I'll deliver it well enough!!


	19. Take the Wheel (Spicy Gluten)

_"It's like spicy food--sometimes you have to tone it down so more people can enjoy it." - Babyface_

 

Expanding one’s business is always encouraged, and Reylen was finally understanding such an important detail for his own. Gloriville was a growing continent and every chance that Reylen had to introduce his cuisine should be taken seriously in order to reach farther across the map.

He had consulted his superior Olivia for more guidance regarding the subject, and was told he’d be gifted a particular item to assist him on his quest to broaden his culinary expertise. Reylen was excited to know just what he was going to receive. Gifts were something he seldom celebrated, but if it meant expanding his business, then by all means.

What he didn’t expect...was a beat up motorbike to show up at the front of the Sweet Leaf.

 

\--

_“Mr. Sharpe,_

_We entrust to you this Delivery Bike that will help aid you in spreading your culinary expertise throughout Gloriville and soon to be throughout Tierra. Please keep yourself informed of incoming orders from Gloriville’s public and private orders board, located at the heart of Hilena’s business district._

_We are confident that your business will flourish with this new edition to your team. We wish you success in your future endeavours._

_The Guild"_

 

Spicy Gluten gave a _hrm_ sound, flipping the official letter between her fingers. She had reread the letter several times, still trying to comprehend its message. She gave a pensive look, then shoved the letter back into Reylen’s hands.

“Well, looks like we’ve got some fun, new activities to do then, hm?”

Reylen was still paying mind to the new bike that was parked at the front entrance. It was a pretty decently kept bike, sporting a few scratches on the faded red paint and was able to take a good hour or so of travel with the level of mileage it had. The motorbike’s head was assumed to look like a red lobster’s, but its left eye was missing and a rearview mirror had a smudge that looked permanently caked on from a muddy excursion. One of its thick antennae was bent back in a weird fashion (Reylen imagined that the previous driver had used it to hang their helmet, but then found out it was the radio antennae). The passenger’s seat seemed to have some frayed fabric, with one hole being patched up with a polka dot cloth. Other than that, it looked functional enough. The bike had also come equipped with one safety helmet and a few bright orange ball caps engraved with Gloriville’s insignia, which was nice aesthetically but wasn’t reassuring for safety measures at all for the extra passengers.

There was also still one glaring problem.

“....I...don’t know how to drive a bike,” the Master Attendant admitted slowly.

Spicy Gluten gave a dark snicker. “And you think _we_ do too?”

“No...”

“Come on, Master Attendant, it can’t be _that_ bad. Bit of revving and balance is all.” She snaked an arm around Reylen’s shoulders, prompting the male to flinch. He wasn’t used to her closeness just yet. Coffee and himself held each other in a balanced dependence as a couple. Reylen also held hands with Jiuniang and Hawthorne Ball to ensure trust between them. What Reylen sensed with Spicy Gluten’s closeness was the feelings of danger and the challenge to break resistance. Her gaze could be described as being trapped in a very small room, devoid of oxygen and was explicitly demanding.

She just made him feel... _uncomfortable_ , to say the least. He moved slightly away from her hold, clearing his throat.

Zongzi and Sashimi appeared from the front gates, waving a few pieces of flyers that were possibly some private orders they can take on.

“Master Attendant! There were so many orders but I couldn’t recognize some dishes. I thought to just get the one for now,” Zongzi admitted as he handed the orders to Reylen. Sashimi nodded vigorously, then had their attention sparked by the motorbike.

“ _Woooow!!_ It looks so cool! Like a demon!”

“Lobster, actually…” Reylen said.

“Lobsters look like demons,” Sashimi retorted.

Reylen read the orders carefully and sighed in relief. Only a few days ago, he had started learning some new Lost Cuisine recipes to further his repertoire, and the orders happened to be those.

“So we just need to cook the amount that’s written here and then...deliver it?”

Zongzi nodded. “That’s right, Master Attendant. It seems we are supposed to make...calamari skewers and garlic oysters?”

“Hmm. Skewers. They’re cute.”

“What?” Reylen and Zongzi both looked at Spicy Gluten curiously, to which she turned away, smirking.

“...A-Anyways, Zongzi? Sashimi? Weird question to ask, but do you two know how to drive that thing?” Reylen inquired, motioning towards the bike.

Both Sashimi and Zongzi gave awkward glances towards one another then shook their heads. Reylen’s shoulders slumped. Obviously he expected their response.

“Guys, I don’t wanna get caught by the authorities…”

“Maaaaaster Attendant, you worry so much!” Spicy Gluten spoke up, wrapping an arm around a stiff Reylen once more. “Let’s just get these orders out of the way, we’ll get this aaaaall sorted out~”

Somehow, despite her milky tone, Reylen wasn’t so sure about that.

 

\--

“Is this safe?! To be on Zongzi-san’s lap while we drive like this?!”

“I’m pretty sure it’s against some sort of driving etiquette!!”

After a good hour of cooking up the right amount of food, Reylen and his selected bunch of Food Souls set off towards a small area near Gold Tree Ranch. Amidst complaints, he now was holding onto Spicy Gluten’s waist for dear life as she drove the bike. She had reassured everyone that she ‘knew what she was doing,’ and only managed to learn the basics in under a few minutes on the road. In no time at all, they were speeding on the road, leaving dust in their wake.

Zongzi and Sashimi took up the passenger seat and realized very quickly that the seat-belts were worse for wear (They didn’t even click the whole way!!). Zongzi was busy holding the sides of the passenger seat with an iron grip while Sashimi had his hands seized under the seat. They both were cringing as the bike picked up speed and coughed every now and then from debris that either hit their face or was accidentally swallowed.

“Oiiii, turn up the radio, Sashimi darling~!” Spicy Gluten commanded amidst the engine.

Sashimi gave a confused ‘hah?!’ then turned their ball cap backwards, struggling to lean forward to flip the rickety knobs on the dashboard. After a bit of tweaking and some fuzzy feedback, a tinny summer rock tune blared throughout the small carrier. Zongzi cringed over the bass that boomed while Sashimi lightened up exceptionally. “Haha, I like this song!!”

“Ain’t it~?!” Spicy Gluten revved the engine, furthering increasing Reylen’s anxiety. His natural reflex made him tighten his hold around Spicy Gluten and pressed his face into her back, his mind racing just as fast as the bike. Thoughts of being safe in his bed were one of those thoughts.

He probably wasn’t hearing right, due to her helmet and the billowing wind, but he had heard Spicy Gluten shout, “Almost there, Master Attendant! You’re a tough cookie! Keep holding out for me, okay?”

He knew there were more implications behind her reassurance, yet his safety was priority during this ride. He couldn’t see the road that stretched in front of them, nor could he see the scenery that they zoomed past. Reylen was too focused on just holding on.

He hoped he could hold out just a bit more. Motion sickness wasn’t a thing he liked having.

 

\--

They finally reached their destination after a good hour, and successfully delivered the still piping hot oysters and calamari skewers to a happy customer ( _“I’ve always wanted ta try this! Y’all did reeeeal good on bringing this out here yonder!”_ ). They went back on the road and found a rest spot near a cliff shoreline to eat lunch.

(And to get some fresh oxygen back into their lungs).

“I...can’t believe we didn’t get caught,” Zongzi heaved, slumping over the railings. Sashimi and Reylen also joined Zongzi, quickly trying to catch their breath. The sea breeze was giving colour back into their faces, at least.

Meanwhile, Spicy Gluten was away from them at the other end of the rest area, her arms spread and letting the wind blow through her flaming orange hair. She was like a burning ray of the sunrise, a piercing blaze of a being.

“What a wonderful ride! If only I was allowed to not wear my helmet during it!” she shouted amidst the sea breeze.

Reylen immediately turned to the approaching woman, shaking his head slowly. “We’d be caught for _sure._ ”

She shrugged casually.

They gave themselves a bit more to breathe, then went to eat a light meal of cheese and crackers. After Sashimi had caught sight of a whale far off in the sea and pointing out the foggy tip of North Island, they decided to head off (reluctantly, at least for Reylen, Sashimi and Zongzi).

 

\--

They had found themselves out in a random area, still near Gold Tree Ranch, the sights of Hilena nowhere near the horizon. Spicy Gluten stopped the bike on a dusty road and everyone glanced around worriedly. Reylen hopped off the bike, consulting a mini map he had stashed in his back pocket.

“Do you have any idea _exactly_ where we are right now?” Sashimi asked Spicy Gluten. She replied with another blunt _hrm_.

“This is nowhere near Hilena,” Zongzi said, rubbing his neck slowly. Reylen had pinpointed this certain action as Zongzi’s anxiety.

Sashimi fidgeted, their one foot scuffing deep into the dirt. Another form of anxiety that Reylen eyed.

“...Are we lost?”

“Well _I_ don’t think so,” Spicy Gluten replied, looking at her gloved hands as if there was nothing else notable to look at.

“Yeah, but _you_ drove us here!” Sashimi’s voice was wavering.

“It’s fun to have a drive out in the middle of nowhere every now and then. You hardened folks need it,” Spicy Gluten chuckled to herself. Sashimi, on the contrary, had his lip wobbling.

“B-But…we can’t get home…w-why did you bring us out here…Why bother driving if you don’t know where you’re going?!”

The woman had turned, flicking a bit of her curls from her face, disregarding the smaller youth’s question.

Zongzi sighed heavily as he clapped a hand over Sashimi’s shoulder. “We won’t get anywhere if we fight. Master Attendant, how do we get back…?”

Reylen kept quiet, trying to match the one road sign name to the map and his face fell. They had abandoned the main road altogether and instead had found themselves on a dead end road. They would have to reroute back to the main road, which would take at least another half hour. Twilight was already painting the hills a rosy gold and any more loitering about here and it would be dark. Hopefully they were fast enough to reach the city limits.

“...Spicy Gluten, come’ere.”

The woman strode over, her arm once again finding refuge over Reylen’s shoulders. “Found a way home, dear?”

He had to say something. Throughout this whole trip, he felt that Spicy Gluten had taken complete control over him and the whole itinerary. The bike ride, the delivery (he had thought to give the package himself but Spicy Gluten had taken the package from his hands and strode off confidently), and now their delayed drive home. Reylen felt offended that he had to place trust on her and in turn, she had put him in an awkward position. He also was responsible for Sashimi and Zongzi’s safety as well, and being out here, alone, in the middle of nowhere, prone to a Fallen Angel attack…it wouldn’t sit well with him if he abandoned them.

“Can we just, uh, talk about what got us to this point, actually,” Reylen started, his voice quiet. He was naturally leading Spicy Gluten away from the other two to talk privately. He also quietly slipped away from her hold, taking a few steps away.

“And what is the problem?”

“... _That._ That, your...,” Reylen motioned to Spicy Gluten. “Your…. _thing_. I’m glad you’re confident in your abilities, but I felt that today, you just lead us a bit too quickly and I felt like we were...dragged to your direction? Do you understand?”

Spicy Gluten crossed her arms, her face now a serious mask. “And this troubled you _why?”_ Her tone was suddenly icy, a blue flame that rose the temperature from her usual hot tone.

Reylen gulped. He had to make sure that this certain Food Soul wasn’t out of his control entirely, despite her surefire attitude to cross boundaries. He was supposed to be a Master Attendant, completely in command of the Food Souls he had been able to successfully summon.

But his childhood goal to befriend them overcame such an old rule. It made up Reylen’s identity, after all. He had to be honest about his feelings and also make sure she was understanding where he stood.

Either she defied him...or they met in the middle.

“...I understand that you _really_ wanted to reassure us a good delivery run. Our first one too. But I felt that you went ahead of yourself. We got lost and I have two other Food Souls that are worried that we won’t get home. I’m...happy that you helped us, I really am. I just felt like you took the reigns a bit too tightly this time.”

There was a silence, the only sounds between them were the rustling of the wheat fields surrounding them, distant chirping of birds flying back home to their nests, the steady hum of the motorbike they had left running. Reylen could’ve sworn that if he breathed the wrong way, the lull would break.

Spicy Gluten went beside Reylen, sighing defeatedly as her lips turned wily.

“Terribly sorry. Didn’t think it affected you _that_ much. You should be aware that what I _am_ is controlling. But it’s funny, Master Attendant…”

She placed her arm on Reylen’s shoulder, a mock armrest.

“You’re just fun to mess with. I just really wanted to see how you handled me today. I thought you were just another person I can control, but you have a cute spark to you.”

Reylen blinked. Didn’t she understand the point here?

(Or perhaps that was just _how_ she got to the point.)

She moved away, motioning for Reylen to follow. “Come on. You know where to go, you’ll help me out in bringing us home.”

He felt himself follow, still not convinced. She still managed to one-up him, but at least now she was willing to drive them home. Reylen made a mental note to make sure his bond with Spicy Gluten didn’t flicker out like a dying flame.

Like his other friendships with the other Food Souls, he would make sure to kindle the fires of their trust.

 

\--

They finally reached the Sweet Leaf’s entrance way. Black Tea had been waiting at the front, waving as Spicy Gluten parked on the road. Sashimi had fallen asleep on Zongzi’s lap and the latter went to carry the youth inside. Meanwhile, Spicy Gluten and Reylen both stretched, having been in such a tight position for too long.

“Whew! What a ride. We should do that again sometime,” Spicy Gluten joked after placing her helmet on top of the passenger seat. She patted Reylen’s shoulder firmly before casually striding off into the house. Black Tea had raised an eyebrow at her before turning to the Master Attendant.

“Did she mean well? You looked frazzled. I hope she behaved,” the dark haired lady asked.

Reylen sighed and found himself nodding. Sure, she caused a bit of a stir in driving a road not taken, but at least she complied to bring them all home safe and sound.

“Yeah, she did, Black Tea. We got back, it’s fine.” He internally told himself this too, just to reassure himself as well.

“Ah, well that’s good. So we got curious and…,” Black Tea walked over, holding a couple more flyers in front of the male.

He blanched. More orders. Maybe he’ll make designated teams for this sort of thing, now that it looked like it was going to be a daily thing. It was always a good thing to quit while you're ahead.

“C...Can we do this tomorrow morning?”

“By all means.”

 

\--

_And Don’t Forget to Tip_

 

Sashimi and Zongzi learned to use the bike the next day and alongside Spicy Gluten, they were about to set off on their second delivery run. Sashimi had been given a (light) apology from Spicy Gluten and was now trying to work alongside the woman as they were now a full fledged deliver group.

Zongzi had a wrinkled disposition as he carried a bag full of the order. Sashimi tilted his head curiously.

“So what are we bringing this time?”

“Smells funny,” Spicy Gluten added.

Zongzi gave a forced smile. “....Pickled fish.”

Spicy Gluten and Sashimi responded with a mixture of a laugh-snort and mock retching, respectfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you're wondering what song they were listening to during their drive, its either a choice of these two that i listened to while writing this chap:  
> https://youtu.be/1sjy3coYyUg  
> or  
> https://youtu.be/Wqce-KVjDdY  
> either way, i have no music taste and you can just imagine your fave summer rock tune 
> 
> Surprise surprise, I snuck a chapter in this week! I'm juggling both writing and my homework cause I really do want to dish out as many chaps as I can. Spicy Gluten was a bit hard to write about since all I got was 'she a control freeeeak' but what the hey, you get the image of her riding a bike. Also, I made some liberties and thought 'yeah! passenger seat! your delivery team gotta get by somehow, they can't just do a balancing act on the motorbike's back seat!!' 
> 
> Currently, I'm sticking with the usual FS that you typically summon first, then preparing myself to do the, aherm, 'popular' bunch of FS that probably some of you are waiting on. I wanna write Steak, I wanna write Plum Juice, I have SO MANY TO WRITE, but I must have patience. I've got the whole list down, its just a matter of me...well, writing it out.   
> Alongside the previous FS that I've already written about, I will do my utmost best to try writing in them with each chap I write. I'll try not to leave them out!! I wanna make sure my love for the ones I constantly summon get love regardless, and that includes your faves too...!
> 
> With school, I'll do what I can. Please be patient with me, eheh.
> 
> Thank you for your continued support regardless of what I say! It means a lot <3
> 
> AAAANYWAYS, sorry for the word dump. The next chap will be a bit of a short one too, considering its just....a shopping....chap... ;'3c


	20. Retail Therapy (Crepe)

_“I have a sweet tooth. I love dessert, and if somebody makes me one, I'm going to have it.” -Sarah Rafferty_

 

The Sweet Leaf was built with comfort in mind but Reylen never really considered the interior design of the restaurant.

Or even...looked at it.

He knew that basic restaurant necessities called for a cash machine, some chairs and tables. Maybe a plant to make it look lived in. He managed to get a worn out signboard for the storefront, something to add to the scenery. Just the _little_ things.

Reylen didn’t consider himself an ‘artsy’ person (he came from a humble family, humble was what he grew up with), nor did he ever think he’d need such skills for the looks of his business. But he had to admit, on some slow days, the inside of his restaurant sure looked _boring_.

After the Ice Arena was built, Reylen quickly received some critical feedback from his Food Souls, urging that they expand its room volume, since it currently was able to let 4 Food Souls on the ice at one time. This lead into a conversation where complaints of updated aesthetics were needed for his restaurant.

On center stage for that conversation: Crepe.

...Who so happened to be the one who dragged Reylen off to the furniture store for an overdue shopping trip.

 

\--

“Now this is a plant with some majesty!” Crepe said gleefully. She was motioning towards one particular bamboo, potted in an intricate Sakurajima designed pot.

Long Bao gave the plant a confused look-over. “How….does a plant have majesty, actually?”

Today’s adventure was in a furniture store, located in one of the more expensive districts of Hilena. Reylen had been convinced (or rather, coerced) by Crepe to try to figure out what the Sweet Leaf needed, materialistically. She had dragged him, Macaron and Long Bao through 2 other huge warehouses previously, making a huge list of prospective items to purchase.

Reylen wasn’t so enthusiastic about both the trip and the list.

“Crepe, how about this set?” He had his attention on a lovely gray birch table set. The chairs had a pretty owl design carved intricately on the back. Crepe went over, gave one glance, then snapped her fan open and strode away.

“Too modern. Your place is _not_ a modern place.”

“Wha…”

“Hoooow about this one, Crepe?! Macaron likes the pretty colour!” The pink haired girl had plopped herself down onto a red oak bench, kicking her feet.

Again, Crepe went over, took one glance, then did her signature fan snap, covering her disappointed face and turned heel.

“Waaaaay too old fashioned. I’ll _consider_ it, but it’s probably a no for me.”

“Awww…,” Macaron whined.

Long Bao now motioned towards a huge inflatable bunny figurine nibbling on a carrot, grinning at Crepe. “This would look so cool in the front lobby!”

Her response was immediate. “No! Tacky! Imagine the stares from the customers, that is OUT of the question!” Crepe strode off, leaving a very confused Long Bao. Reylen and Macaron joined up with the younger boy, all looking tuckered out for wear.

“Are we _ever_ gonna get something that she’ll settle on?” Long Bao grumbled, looking longingly at the rabbit.

“Macaron’s gonna remind everyone that Crepe is a _very,_ **_very_ ** picky lady,” she responded, fumbling with her dress frills.

Long Bao gave another whine, slumping over the back seat of a beige loveseat. “Yeah, but I’m hungryyyy...and we missed tea time…Master Attendant, are we gonna get lunch soon?”

“I’m not too sure myself,” Reylen replied, crossing his arms as he observed Crepe examining a fancy sky blue lamp made out of crystal, tapping her fan lightly on her cheek. The Master Attendant walked over, placing his hand lightly on Crepe’s shoulder.

“So hey, we’re due for lunch, let’s postpone this for now.”

He was met with a slow, cold turn from the shorter girl, her eyes an icy scowl.

“....Fine. But as soon as everyone is done, we absolutely _must_ get back to work. We have only ordered two plants and that, I think, is _pathetic.”_

She punctuated her last, haughty word with a firm _snap!_ of her fan and strode off. Reylen followed, sighing heavily.

Crepe truly did mean well. She was only looking out for his (or, rather his restaurant’s) well-being. But she could at least be a little bit more cordial about it…

He thought plants would have been enough…!

 

\--

“Do we HAVE to get that,” Long Bao asked, his expression holding much uncertainty.

“It’s IDEAL to have this kind of table for Master Attendant!” Crepe replied confidently.

After (a very hurried) lunch out, Reylen and co. ventured into yet another furniture store. The price tags that Reylen had glanced in this particular store, were making him queasy.

“Sir! We’ll get this!” Crepe declared, pointing her fan at a beautifully carved wooden tea table, its top surface adorned with a thin glass.

“W-Wait, what?! Crepe!” The slate-haired man broke his attention away from Macaron happily bouncing on a couch seat, rushing over to the young girl already handing a bag of money to the owner. That certain bag, Reylen remembered, housed a couple of Crystals he had farmed, that he also remembered it took quite a while to collect.

“It’s FINE, Master Attendant! You need this,” she replied calmly as the owner bowed while taking the bag of precious currency. “You need to think about your reputation here!”

The taller male gave an upset look. “Yeah, but, that’s our savings! Maybe try something a bit cheaper?”

Crepe fumed. “....Fine. But everything cheap is tasteless, just so you are aware!” She walked away, hand on her hip and her posture looking far too arrogant for her heels to keep up with. Macaron and Long Bao joined Reylen in gazing at her form, stalking off to the other side of the store.

“Wow, Macaron can’t believe Crepe and how serious she is about this,” the pink haired girl mumbled.

“I just hope she doesn’t make any other expensive purchases,” Reylen said, rubbing his temples in frustration. “I can only buy so much right now.”

“Yeah, wasn’t like half of our savings for lunch today too?” Long Bao asked sheepishly. Reylen responded with a forced clearing of his throat. They did go to a nice afternoon tea oriented restaurant, and as much as that plate of strawberry mousse, mango wraps and fruit salad was heaven...

“A-Anyway! Better catch up with her in case she didn’t listen to me the first time!” He hurried off while Macaron and Long Bao both laughed.

 

\--

Their last stop was at a light fixture store, of which the front windows hooked them in the moment they laid their eyes on it. The shop made the group stare at in awe; it was fashioned with old antiques, knickknacks and most importantly, lamps. Lamps that were designed from the many regions throughout Tierra, lamps with their creator’s artistic taste imbued into their design, and lamps that shined with colours that Reylen couldn’t describe.

Macaron and Long Bao were marveling at a lamp shaped like a peacock, while Reylen kept his sights in close proximity with Crepe. She was admiring a set of hanging lamps, oval in shape and glowing a warm amber.

It had only been a day, yet Reylen had Crepe’s body language memorized whenever she was invested in something. She tapped her fan _under_ her chin if she really wanted something to burn money on; if it was her cheek, it was out of simple interest.

So seeing her tap her fan under her chin as she gazed at the lamps made his stomach churn once more. He went beside her, trying to keep his professional side in check.

“Don’t even think about it,” he said firmly.

She was already spouting a desperate tangent. “We absolutely MUST get this!! Don’t you want to consider certain important figures gracing your restaurant? Eating your weird pineapple rice while gazing up at the pretty lights! Master Attendant, think about the _compliments_ you’ll get if we buy this!”

Reylen had to keep his stance steady. They had bought a few new tables, some plants and even managed some new flooring. He was good with getting any new items. Being in here was just solely for window shopping. He didn’t need anym--

Crepe was across the hall, her dainty hand waving a bag of coins towards the register.

“SIR! CAN WE GET THESE HANGING LIGHT FIXTURES!!”

Reylen couldn’t reach her fast enough; the transaction had been made.

 

\--

“Why…did you buy that?”

They were finally home, tired from their venture out in the town. Reylen had to pocket the remaining empty sachets that once held coins and crystals, and had called Crepe in the hallways near the kitchen instead of his office. This didn’t need to be such a serious issue that he’d corner her privately, so perhaps he would make this conversation simple and casual.

(...even if his financial strain seemed more than that.)

Crepe, in the meantime, leaned against one kitchen counter, crossing her arms and putting her best pout. “First off, be more specific, Master Attendant. _Which_ thing are you concerned about that I bought?”

Reylen, across from her and leaning on the sink, crossed his own arms. “The lamp fixture. We didn’t need that sort of thing.” _Gotta stay professional_ , he told himself.

The petite girl shook her head firmly. “And I disagree with your statement! I thought it would benefit your store more, especially with the other furniture that I oh so graciously bought for you! Plus those lights were 50% off! You think I could pass up such an amazing deal?!”

Reylen kept his stare and stance set in stone. “You put at least 90% of my savings into today’s purchases. My savings is strictly to benefit us, but draining the majority of it would mean it’ll take longer for me to make it grow again. I’m grateful, but...it was very reckless, Crepe.”

They stood in silence, Crepe glaring, Reylen unreadable. He always let silence ruminate their thoughts before his Food Souls either came up with a conclusion to what he was stressing about, or walked away.

Crepe, thankfully, did the former.

“...I must apologize for my erratic behavior. I didn’t mean to buy those fixtures and the rest of the other gains we got today, but I felt it called for it! I thought your restaurant needed it!”

Her tone was the same imperious tone, but with a hint of a whine. Her eyes were darting side to side slowly, as if trying to summon up the right barbs to throw alongside her apology. “Master Attendant, I really wanted to make your precious restaurant beautiful. You deserve such beauty! I hear terrible whispers from certain customers, saying that you don’t pay mind to your store and, _ooooh!!_ I just wanted to show them that you can do better! So much better!!”

She stomped her foot, then snapped her fan open, looking away. Reylen could tell that with her small shoulders shaking and her fan in front of her face, she was trying to keep a proud face.

“And that’s fine, I really do appreciate what you do,” he replied as he went beside her and patted her on the head lightly. He had found out earlier that Macaron liked that action, and chanced this as well with Crepe. “Can we possibly communicate together whenever we buy anything for the store next time?”

She hiccuped, then looked at Reylen, still behind her fan. Her eyes were a bit puffy.

“I _did_ go for a discount fixture though…”

“I’ll admit, it was very beautiful. I’m just not too sure it’ll fit with Sweet Leaf’s image.”

She gently smacked Reylen’s arm with her fan, reverting back to her usual self. “Nonsense! You think I didn’t buy all those things without a theme in mind?! Once again, you fail to recognize my role here to make your restaurant _the_ most exquisite dining establishment in all of Gloriville!”

Reylen chuckled, rubbing the spot where she hit. Did she apply thorns onto the edges? “We’ll see when everything comes in.”

 

\--

_A few days later..._

“Master Attendant! Come outside this instant!”

Reylen didn’t get much sleep the other night due to trucks coming in late to drop off their new furniture. Tempura, Zongzi and Tom Yum volunteered to help reorganize and place everything, with Crepe directing them. Reylen had been told to ‘go to bed so he can be surprised by the new looks in the morning,’ but with the amount of scraping and banter, he couldn’t really enter deep sleep (Coffee, in the meanwhile, slept like a log beside Reylen).

As soon as Crepe shouted for him to wake up, he pulled himself out from bed, paying mind not to waken his blond partner, put on a dark navy bathrobe and fluffed his messy hair a tad. He opened the door to see Crepe smiling proudly, her hands behind her back.

“Goooood morning, Master Attendant! Are you ready to see your brand new store?!”

“Good morning, Crepe. Let’s see how you guys did,” he replied with a yawn.

He was tugged by the sleeve by Crepe and they both hurried downstairs.

When Crepe pulled Reylen through the doors leading to the restaurant, Reylen had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure that the image in front of him was real.

The restaurant looked bigger. The floor was now a brighter brown (Crepe had chosen a flooring called rosewood), that made the place smell faintly of a flower garden. Alongside the trio of wooden chairs and tables, in another part of the room were a few Sakurajima-styled kotetsu seats, colored with beautiful apricot tablecloths. There was a beautiful floral fence decoration at the back of the store, which also displayed a wondrous rose bundle that seemed to bring life to the once dull atmosphere. Each table also had a tiny vase that held a different flower each, while there was potted cherry flora in between the kotetsu. The glass tea table was now settled near the tables, having a white tablecloth over it that held condiments and extra plates and cutlery.

Most importantly, the hanging glass lanterns that Crepe had impulse bought, now hung above the restaurant’s ceiling rafters. Their ambient glow gave the whole room a cozy, nostalgic feeling. Reylen was reminded of the filtered light of the sunset between the trees while you were out for a much needed walk.

He was floored, for better lack of a term.

“So?” Crepe asked expectantly.

“It’s…beautiful.” He couldn’t believe how dumbfounded he sounded.

Crepe had snapped her fan, placing her free hand on her hip and smirking. “But of course! It’s good, isn’t it?!”

Again, she meant well, even if his wallet upstairs was crying from being almost empty. The whole restaurant had been changed, and hopefully, his customers will notice.

Reylen broke away from his trance to give a small smile at Crepe. He patted her on the head, earning another pout from the smaller girl.

“Don’t mess up my perfect hair, Master Attendant! And if I get word that you rearrange what I have settled here, you’ll hear it from me!!”

“Of course, of course, haha…”

 

\--

_Cherry on Top_

Once the doors had opened, the restaurant was bustling with noise, solely from the awe everyone felt by looking at the Sweet Leaf’s newly refurbished surroundings.

“I never thought that such a thing existed! It looks beautiful!” one pregnant mother had regarded, pointing towards the glass lanterns up above.

Reylen was gently tapped by Crepe’s fan as they both watched from the cash register. He caught her coy smirk behind her fan and laughed to himself, going back to the kitchen to wash dishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based off my own dumbass buying all the pretty things in the furniture store then realizing my wallet is dry and i had to cook braised pork for a good few days until i could cook other shit again sdfhksdla
> 
> A very quick chapter since next week is my first exam (and I kiiiinda dont wanna flunk). I really love Crepe! She was my mainstay for a while during my first few days on FoodFan. Hug your crepe today and watch out if she decides to steal your wallet if she does.
> 
> Quick foodfan update: I was able to finally collect enough shards for Spaghetti and am in the process of getting precious Mung Bean Soup. I keep hearing that shes not the best in her class but by GOD i will have her in my family regardless!!!!! 
> 
> ALSO, I SUMMONED CLOUD TEA. ITS BEEN 9000 YEARS. she's absolutely stunning, and her chapter will be released WAAAAY FARTHER IN THE FUTURE LMAO, just like her shard collecting, reylen will have to wait quite a bit until i can write him meeting her.
> 
> Thank you for your continuous support! <3 School is real heavy on me right now (both homework and subject-discussion wise), so seeing that this dumb ol fic is still being read really lightens the burden off my shoulders. Stay tuned for  
> A  
> SIBLING  
> FIGHT


	21. Heartfelt Feud (Taiyaki)

_“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.” - Oscar Wilde_

 

Family time to Reylen was a foreign concept. What he could remember with his parents was that his father was rarely around due to him working in the Light Kingdom and his mother cooked a lot to pass the time. His love for cooking stemmed on himself often trying the new recipes that his father sent via mail and bonding with his mother through her cuisine. He spent a meager amount of time with his younger sister when she was born and then immediately, Reylen was sent to cooking school. Communication, from then on, was like molasses; slow, unpredictable and made both parties more discouraged to talk to one another.

As Reylen graduated from the Academy, he began to realize that distancing himself wasn’t a viable option and he was scared that if he distanced himself further, his family (particularly his sister) would possibly forget him. It was a minor fear, but it scared Reylen regardless. He started letter writing once he opened his restaurant, thanks to one Food Soul, Dorayaki.

Since Reylen rarely got to see his sister face to face, he wasn’t versed on how she felt or acted. He didn’t know her aspirations and what made her angry from the drop of a hat. Only letters conveyed such, but it wasn’t as transparent.

The couple of letters he had received from her so far had been lukewarm to say the least, but at least they were having a conversation.

One particular letter had helped him during one very stressful time at the Sweet Leaf, of which he was also trying to assist another pair of siblings over a sudden quarrel they had fell into.

He would make sure that he’d thank his little sister through a letter reply over her accidental assistance, through her accidental involvement in breaking up what would have been a costly fight.

 

\--

It had happened during a particularly quiet work day. Instead of the usual bustle of customers talking over the infamous fried rice and the weather, there was a pair of Food Souls at the register, yelling at each other. A few customers had started leaving, uncomfortable with such a scene. Perhaps that was why the Sweet Leaf seemed quieter today.

“What did I say about talking to that Sashimi guy?!” Dorayaki said in frustration.

Taiyaki gave her brother an equally angry look, balling her hands into fists that rested at her sides. “I don’t understand! Why do you hate Sashimi-kun so much?!”

“Because!!....B-Because!!! I just don’t TRUST that guy around you so much!” Dorayaki retorted, gritting his teeth.

“You’re just being mean! You did the exact same thing when I was talking with Tom Yum and Long Bao the other day!” Taiyaki whined.

“They’re weirdos too!”

“No they’re not! You’re being a real big meanie _jerkface_ right now, Big Brother!”

“No I’m not! I’m just looking out for you!!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“ _Am not!!”_

_“ARE TOO!!”_

Reylen had been standing outside of the kitchen doors for a good five minutes, staring incredulously at the siblings squabbling it out, his hold on the tray of now cold carrot bread numbing his fingers. Zongzi and Sukiyaki, a newcomer, had taken each of Reylen’s sides, also feeling unfortunate to be spectating.

“A-Are we going to--” Zongzi’s worried voice started.

“Until I see fists flying, then no,” Reylen quietly responded back.

Sukiyaki put an inquisitive hand under their chin, observing the two. “Are they always like this, Master Attendant?”

“No! It’s funny, they’re usually pretty in sync with each other.”

“Interesting…” the gray haired character said to themselves as they took the carrot bread tray from Reylen. They placed it into the bakery tray, then went to grab the broom, going between the two siblings to sweep the floor. Both Dorayaki and Taiyaki didn’t seem to pay mind to Sukiyaki.

Reylen and Zongzi gave each other troubled looks. Both siblings were usually very attentive to others around them. Their sync was ridiculously off.

“Master Atten--oof!” Sashimi had appeared from the kitchen but had bumped into Reylen’s back. “W-What’s going on?”

“Oh, uh, you should probably not be here right now, Sashimi,” Zongzi said, giving an awkward smile.

“What?! Why? I’m supposed to be serving guests this afternoon!” the youth wailed.

On cue, Dorayaki turned his attention towards the dark haired boy, glowering. “ _You!!!”_

Taiyaki grabbed Dorayaki’s sleeve, shaking her head furiously and tugged in desperation. “Stop it, Big Brother! He did nothing wrong!”

The blond boy stumbled over his speech, trying to find reason over his accusations. “Yeah he did! Just…look at his face! It’s so fulla guilt, he’s...he’s so shocked about the amount of guilt he has!”

Sashimi gave the siblings confused looks. “What…did I do, exactly?”

“Nothing. That’s the problem, apparently,” Sukiyaki’s smooth voice drawled from across the restaurant.

Dorayaki stepped forward in front of Sashimi, setting his best glare in front of the other bewildered youth. Taiyaki still tugged at his sleeves, to no avail.

“ _Stop_ talking like you’re cozy with Taiyaki, you.” His tone was edged with ice. Sashimi, realizing that the other was trying to provoke, set his glare equal to the blond’s.

“Dorayaki-san, I don’t know what I did to make you angry, but Taiyaki-chan is my friend, and I don’t know if she appreciates what you’re doing right now,” Sashimi replied back quietly.

“Oh _you_ don’t know what you’re doing, huh? You think you’re so cool, hanging about Taiyaki. You’re _nothing_ , pretty boy.” The blond boy put his hands on his hips, scowling.

Sashimi made a face. “What? She’s one of my friends, what’s so weird about hanging out with her?”

“Because she’s my _sister_ , duh?!”

“What’s this gotta do with me hanging out with her?! You’re being weird, Dorayaki-san!”

“No! It’s you who’s being weird!!”

“Big Brotherrrr…,” Taiyaki whined, tugging with more urgency.

The tugging had seemingly pushed Dorayaki’s patience far enough. He yanked his arm away, causing Taiyaki to gasp in surprise as she was forcefully pulled forward, almost colliding with the nearby cash register. Thankfully, Zongzi had immediately stepped in, catching the girl.

“Are you alright…?”

“Oi! Take your hands off of her!” Dorayaki demanded, looking more red faced than before.

“But you’re the one who pushed her!” Zongzi accused.

Dorayaki paused, then turned slowly towards Taiyaki, who was now beginning to tear up. His jaw slightly dropped.

“B-B-Big Brother…”

Before anyone could get a word in, the girl had rushed off into the kitchen, her sobs faintly moving upstairs. Everyone was at a standstill, save for Sukiyaki, still patiently sweeping throughout the restaurant.

Reylen finally broke the uneasy silence. “....I’ll talk to her. You guys, take care of whoever comes in.”

He moved past a shocked Dorayaki, brushing against the boy’s stiff shoulders, noticing how quiet he had gotten. His lecture with Dorayaki will come in later; he had to deal with one sibling at a time.

 

\--

Taiyaki was seated near one of the windowsills in the upper dormitory floors of the building. She was quietly talking to Ume Ochazuke, quietly sipping her green tea, and newcomer Escargot, who was curled up beside the brunette and snoozing.

Reylen took his time to join the small group, sitting beside Taiyaki who was now somberly nibbling on a rice cracker. “Feeling better?”

She shook her head, pouting with the cracker half in her mouth.

“You wanna vent and I’ll listen or you just wanna vent and let it out?”

He gave a pause between them, the shallow snoring of Escargot and Ume Ochazuke taking long tea sips their only background noise. Taiyaki took a shaky breath, removing her food from her mouth and looked at Reylen with sullen eyes.

“Big Brother…he’s really protective of me, isn’t he?”

“He sure is, dear,” Ume Ochazuke said quietly, taking another sip of her tea.

“But I don’t understand why he doesn’t want me to make new friends,” she lamented. “He’s always going on and on about how Sashimi-kun and Tom Yum and Long Bao and any other guy that gets near me is a danger to me!”

“Mm. He’s a bit too protective, huh?” Reylen said.

Taiyaki leaned against Reylen’s arm, hugging her legs in tightly. “Being near so many people brings me good fortune, Master Attendant. I wanna give out good fortune to others, you know? I don’t understand why Big Brother doesn’t want me to do that.”

The taller male pondered the thought. “...Do you feel he’s choosing the people you talk to?”

“Y-Yeah! Maybe? I never really thought of it like that before...”

They both jumped when Escargot yawned and sat up from his spot. “...Have you tried talking to him about this issue?” the boy drowsily said.

She paused, then shook her head. Reylen nodded. “So maybe try doing that. When he’s not angry at the moment.”

“I gotta wait till he calms down?” Taiyaki asked.

“Oh, most definitely, my dear. Your brother can’t stay mad for long,” Ume Ochazuke said cheerfully.

“I just wish he could stop being such...such a _doting jerkface_ sometimes…,” the blonde girl complained to herself, hugging her knees tighter.

Reylen smiled towards her. “I’m sure its not on purpose though.”

Escargot stood up, stretching and then, as if an invisible light bulb had lit up over his head, reached in the insides of his pillow and handed a large envelope to Reylen. “I….(yaaawn)....completely forgot about this. It's for you, Master Attendant.”

“Oh?” He took the envelope, recognizing the address and handwriting, and carefully opened it. Taiyaki leaned closer while Ume Ochazuke moved to the Master Attendant’s free side to glance over as Reylen opened up the rosy pink coloured letter.

“Whose it from?”

“My younger sister,” he said.

“Oh!! You’re a Big Brother too?! She writes so prettily! Can you read it aloud?” the blonde girl asked politely. Reylen had forgotten to tell some of his Food Souls about his family; he mentally planned to himself to formally address it at some point.

He opened the letter carefully, reading the familiar, intricate handwriting that communicated his little sister’s words as if she was right in the room with him…

 

\--

“What…What is _that?”_

Zongzi had finally calmed Dorayaki down, after a swift talking-to ( _“Please reconsider how you act around your family!!”_ ), but then had been stopped mid-sentence after a certain being was floating around the bakery display counter.

A whitish-pink orb figure, sporting a mini chef’s hat and holding a knife and fork, was floating about, as if minding its own business. One young boy customer had felt weirded out about its presence and had left the restaurant, to the dismay of the Food Souls.

“I think that’s a Rube?” Dorayaki replied, the both of them now taking refuge behind the kitchen peekhole. Sashimi, busy with chopping vegetables for the next round of dishes, glanced at the two worriedly.

“So what do we do with it?” Zongzi asked.

Sukiyaki, still at the counter, nonchalantly turned towards the two and then raised the broom they were holding. “We smack ‘em.”

Both Zongzi and Dorayaki shook their heads curiously. “No!”

“Oh? Why not?”

“It looks different than the regular Rubes I see out in battle,” Dorayaki mumbled. “I don’t wanna chance provoking this guy.”

“It’s literally holding a knife and fork, which is probably more blunt than our floors, you think it’ll be such a big threat?” Sukiyaki asked, giving a smirk towards the Rube, now floating between the ceiling rafters.

“Yeah, but we don’t know what kind of Fallen they’ll bring in, you kn-- _There’s another one?!_ ” Zongzi said exasperatedly.

He pointed towards the front and Dorayaki and Sukiyaki followed his hand and saw a second Rube, doing a balance routine on the signboard.

“T-They’re accumulating…?” Sashimi had joined the three, their voice higher than usual mixed in with apprehension.

**_“RRRAGH WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS CHAIR, THIS IS THE WORST--”_ **

As soon as all four of the Food Souls heard a disgruntled customer in the back of the restaurant, they both rushed out, quickly arming themselves and trying to lead the Fallen into their special battle room, out of the restaurant. The two Rubes looked on, taking a seat on top of the cash register as sounds of the Food Souls attacking the Fallen echoed through the walls.

 

\--

_“Hi Big Brother,_

_It’s been such a long time since you wrote to me last. I’m really happy that you took the time to. I was beginning to wonder if your restaurant had taken you away from Mother and me for good. I’m glad you’re doing well._

_I have started to learn the old recipes that Father left here at home, the ones that Mother refuse to try cause they seem too complex. You said in your previous letter that nothing is impossible and that if I succeeded, Mother would be proud of us. Your last recipe (the cucumber egg stir-fry) is very different from Mother’s but….I’ll admit, I like your improved recipe over hers. Don’t tell her!_

_She also really liked the risotto I tried making the other day! I wrote the recipe in a small card included with this letter if you wanted to try it out as a new item in the restaurant._

_I’m really glad you’re getting along with the Food Souls that you summoned so far. I really like the stories that you’ve talked about, they seem to keep you busy everyday. It’s so nice that they care about you as much as you care about them. Did you talk to Mother about Coffee yet? I think she’d be happy if you did. Also, can you thank Dorayaki for making you write these letters? I’m happy that he reminded you to! I’m also really happy that another Big Brother is looking out for you, cause you definitely need to be look after. BTW, say hi to his little sister for me._

_Speaking of which! The Soul Ambers you gave me brought a few new Food Souls that I’ve quickly became good friends with! I summoned Tempura, Red Wine and Raindrop Cake, and I really hope you can meet them one day when you visit back home. Thank you for letting me summon up new friends, as I did feel a little lonely on some days when I’m being homeschooled. The three are still getting used to me but I’m sure we’ll be good friends. You always know how to make a Food Soul a friend; I hope I’ll be able to do the same!_

_Mother was also wondering if you’re eating well. She says that it’s getting colder and that she wants you to eat as much citrus as you can. She’s also wondering if Father’s old chicken soup recipe came in handy. I hope it becomes popular for you and your restaurant._

_Please keep yourself healthy and happy, Big Brother! I miss you a bunch. Come home every now and then!! Love you lots._

_PS: Mother had some extra Rube Cleaning gloves made and thought it would be wise for you to take them. Hope they’re useful.”_

 

From within the envelope, there was a pair of medium-sized rainbow coloured gloves, the knitting handiwork familiar to Reylen as his mother’s, and a recipe card with rosy pink handwriting scrawled on it. He was always surprised to see his little sister write such lengthy letters, but as he read and reread, he started to feel things clear in his head, especially with the gloves in his hand.

His sister’s feelings of concern were there, despite them being so far apart.

“I think they’re fighting a Fallen,” Amidst his sense of clarity, Reylen had heard Ume Ochazuke speak quietly to Taiyaki, and the faint noises of battle were reverberating from the floor below them.

“Taiyaki, Ume. Escar--”

He stopped as soon as he saw Escargot prop up his pillow against the wall, and with a yawn, curled back up for another nap. Reylen gave a small sigh.

“...Taiyaki, Ume. Let’s go downstairs and deal with what’s happening downstairs.”

“But of course, Master Attendant!” the brunette said, placing her cup on the window sill, her demeanor becoming that of her gentle calm before the terrifying storm.

Taiyaki also stood up, taking Reylen’s sleeve. “Let’s go, Master Attendant! I think I’m ready to talk to Big Brother too.”

He placed the letter and the recipe card near Escargot, knowing that he’ll watch over the precious items. The warm feeling in his chest continued to lead him and the two women out of the hallway, renewed as he held the rube gloves tightly.

 

\--

Dorayaki was thrown into a pile of broken tables, the boy yelling out in pain. Zongzi had went to tend to the boy while Sukiyaki and Sashimi went to attack the Bulimia Fallen together. Their combined attack of shiitake and waves of saltwater wasn’t enough to provoke the Fallen.

“It’s just the four of us. We’re under powered here…,” Dorayaki winced as Zongzi pulled him back on his feet. “W-Where’s Master Attendant? We kinda need him here!”

“He’ll come around, he’s always wary about Dine and Dashers,” Zongzi reassured. He took a few eager bites of a freshly wrapped morsel of his namesake, and stood in front of the blond boy, ready to defend.

Dorayaki wasn’t so convinced. “Yeah, but we need him _now_ , you know?!”

“Did you guys call?”

The four turned, seeing Reylen, Taiyaki and Ume Ochazuke enter the room. While Ume Ochazuke gently closed the door, making sure escape was not possible for their enemy, the taller male gave a swift nod to Taiyaki. With a determined look, she brandished her banner and ran to join Dorayaki’s side.

“Big Brother! Are you--”

Immediately, Dorayaki, having forgotten that he had collided into a few hard tables earlier, stood close to Taiyaki and hugged her.

“...I’m fine. Let’s beat that thing!” He pulled away, giving a grin. It was as if their argument from before hadn’t happened in the first place.

The younger girl gave the same wide smile back and they both turned to charge at the Bulimia.

“...I’m guessing you gave a good talking to?” Sukiyaki said cheekily, going beside Reylen and propping their basket shield in front of them both.

“Eh. It’s what I do,” the Master Attendant said casually, stepping near Sukiyaki and letting the former protect him.

“Which is why we trust you so much, Master Attendant!” Zongzi said happily. Without a glance, he had blocked the Bulimia’s energy attack with one wave of his sword.

“Does he still hate me though?” Sashimi asked, scuffing his feet against the faded wooden floor.

“Well...he’ll get over it. I have to talk to him too, but right now…,” Reylen motioned towards the Fallen, who was now getting bombarded by yo-yos and fish-shaped cakes. Sashimi, Sukiyaki and Zongzi all directed themselves back into the fight.

“R-Right!”

 

\--

After taking care of the Dine and Dasher Fallen, the room was tidied up (very quickly, as Ume Ochazuke, Sukiyaki and Zongzi were experts in cleaning that room by now). Reylen had brought the siblings and Sashimi over to demonstrate his new gift from his own younger sister.

“So what you guys do is this…,” Reylen instructed, waving a rainbow gloved hand over the Restaurant Rube. It instantly shrunk into thin air, its utensils clattering onto the floor. Both the siblings had wide, curious looks.

“Can I try?! Lemme try!” Dorayaki said.

“I wanna try too!” Taiyaki joined in.

Reylen gave one glove each to the pair and they both ran towards the other Rube, who scrambled away from its resting spot on the cash register. They waved their gloved hands together, in perfect sync, over the Rube and it disappeared in the same way.

The Master Attendant felt much more relieved when they giggled to each other.

“Sashimi-kun! You wanna try it if you see a Rube?” Taiyaki asked joyfully.

Before the other youth could respond from beside Reylen, her brother had already put his hands on his hips, shaking his head. “Nuh-uh! We can handle it!!”

“Big Brotherrrrr! Don’t be such an uncool jerkface and let Sashimi-kun try too!”

“No! He’ll just hog it to himself!”

“No he won’t!”

“Yeah he will!”

“Will not!”

“ _WILL TOO!”_

“...So it’s just gonna be like this, huh?” Sashimi had given Reylen a bitter, exasperated smile, while Reylen shrugged in the same manner.

Some siblings you can’t just change in a day, he thought to himself. His letter to his younger sister will definitely carry today’s story, hoping that when she wrote back, it would be just as lively as the one he received...and as lively as the two siblings, still squabbling it out.

 

\--

_Always Share!_

 

“You know what we need?” Ume Ochazuke said, while sweeping up the remaining dust in the Dine and Dash room. She had been glancing at the extra pantry ingredients that seemed to have found a temporary home in this area.

Zongzi and Sukiyaki had turned, giving their utmost attention to the woman (as it was an unspoken rule to do such).

“A trip to a hot spring?” Sukiyaki joked.

“We already spent so much on the Ice Arena…,” Zongzi said, giving a sheepish chuckle.

“Oh...well, you might be onto something actually, Sukiyaki-san.” She paused, then gave a small giggle. “Oh dear me. I have forgotten what I was going to say! Just the thought of a hot spring made my thought go away!”

Both men face-faulted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rest assured, ume's little revelation will come up. she's a trickster, that one.
> 
> Sukiyaki: listen, I just got here, I have no place to ref this.  
> Zongzi, in between the sibs: no!!! fighting!!!!!!!  
> Sashimi, holding a sashimi tray and walking into the Sweet Leaf up in flames D:
> 
> Dished (haha) this fic out right before exams cause I be stressing, plus got some inspo from my own siblings.
> 
> I MAY have forgotten that Dorayaki hates anybody that gets near his sis, and that included Sashimi. I made this follow up chapter especially to address that. Whenever I make a chap, I seem to forget certain details that matter for these characters, hence recently I’m doing my best to make sure that they’re as ‘true’ to their canon personality as I can, while writing them out accordingly for the plot I’ve got planned for their focus chap. I can only rely on the wiki so much, as sometimes even the character bio is pretty scarce, so I take whatever I can and build from that. Hope that suffices, haha.
> 
> Tldr: made sure dorayaki is the scornful little shit you guys expected from the beginning lmao. ANYWAYS.
> 
> I received Mung Bean Soup and AAAAA she’s another daughter, I have adopted another daughter!! I HAVE SO MUCH CHILDREN--
> 
> Also, on Dec. 4 (er, yesterday as I submit this), Reylen and Coffee are officially Pledged together. I wanna make a separate fic about them buuuut, schooooool….Maybe on my winter break coming up? Anyways, the whole ceremony process was corny as hell but corny is my middle name and i loved EVERY MINUTE OF IT. Anyways, congrats, they’re in love.
> 
> Thanks for the support as always <3 I've got two more weeks until my two-week winter break, but regardless, stay tuned for more. 
> 
> Next, someone will get drunk irresponsibly (or maybe they already are?)


	22. Eight Armed Temperance (Yellow Wine)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Wine's pottymouth comes back, and mentions of alcoholic behavior up ahead.

_To the sober person, adventurous conduct often seems insanity. -  Aristotle_

 

There was something about one’s favourite food that brings about one’s remembered self. A slow bite of cake can bring about the memories of a joyous birthday. A nibble of a juicy piece of meat might bring about how one created its marinade and the harmonious union of spices that made the meat so delicious.  Maybe a certain fruit was a bitter warning, resulting in an allergic reaction or it just wasn’t to the person’s liking. Food had a magical way of bringing about wonderful memories.

Reylen’s personal mission for the Sweet Leaf was to invoke those same memories with his menu. He made sure that with each dish, it prompted his customers to remember events in their lives, whether it was good or bad.

His Food Souls, in the meanwhile, were the living embodiment of ‘living in the moment.’ Every day seemed to bring about something new for Reylen to discover and most of all, to treasure. He truly treasured his time with each and every one of his Food Souls….even when they themselves believe they don’t deserve even a _minute_ of Reylen’s time. He had learned by now that inadequacy was the enemy of himself and his Food Soul family.

Reylen had been victim to feeling like he didn’t deserve his Food Souls...and more often than not, he had also became the support of Food Souls who strongly felt they didn’t deserve him.

But he’d prove himself and his family wrong every time, no matter the circumstances. Treatment, he believed, is one of the main routes of recovery.

 

\--

“He’s _what?_ ” Reylen had to confirm that this was actually happening and to make sure he wasn’t blowing this out of proportion.

Pudding adjusted his glasses, his gaze tired behind his tinted glasses. “Drunk.”

“...How badly drunk is he?”

“He’s just, muttering to himself in the end of the West Wing hallway upstairs, and I really don’t know what to do with him. I had thought to ask for your assistance, Master Attendant.”

“I’m...not gonna be much help here either, Pudding…”

Reylen had very little experience with alcohol. There had been a few times where during his time at the Academy, he had roommates that were of the rambunctious type. He knew what he was like under the influence of alcohol, thus he avoided it altogether whenever he could (He sure had personal horror stories to tell, though). Seeing his roommates turn into completely different people (from super strength to ‘experimentation’ for lack of a better term) only solidified his choice of staying away from drinking.

He had learned about the creation of Aizen through his studies and took it as a cautionary tale that he took seriously. Alcohol destroyed many a liver and on more serious terms, lives. He just...didn’t want to mess with it.

So having a Food Soul who made drinking a constant hobby was something he had to quickly get used to.

Yellow Wine was a boisterous man, whom most of the Food Souls avoided due to his arrogant and self-centered personality. It was always a strenuous battle to hold a simple conversation with him, simply cause he spoke so brashly.

And when he was _drunk?_ Ten times worse.

“So what are we to do with him th--” Pudding said, but was interrupted by a loud crash from upstairs.

Reylen sighed, patted the young boy’s shoulder. “Head to the kitchen and watch over it for a bit. I’ll take care of him.

As Pudding did what he was ordered, Reylen was discreet on walking up the steps towards the upper floor. Ume Ochazuke and Orange Juice were holding their weapons at the ready (well, Orange Juice had her straw while Ume Ochazuke sported a pair of soup ladles), while they had a cornered Yellow Wine, with his huge cleaver posed in front of him. A window had been smashed in. He had a very angry expression, despite his cheeks glowing a rosy red.

“You better not _fffffffACK_ with me! I have a giant meat cleaver...thing! You best _nooooot!_ ” he drawled out and struck an exaggerated defensive pose, like the ones Reylen had seen in old kung fu action films.

“Yellow Wine, please calm down, you’re causing a disturbance!” Orange Juice pleaded.

“ ** _YOU’RE_ ** _A DISTURBANCE!!”_

“Oh dear, oh my,” Ume Ochazuke placed a hand over her mouth and motioned to Reylen, who quickly raced over. “Master Attendant, whatever shall we do with him?”

“I just got here, and I really dunno what to do with…Whoa!” He was pushed to the side by Ume Ochazuke as Yellow Wine took a swing with his cleaver. Reylen saw a few slate hairs from his one longer left bang had been nicked from the sheer closeness of his blade.

Orange Juice immediately retaliated with her bent straw, hooking it onto Yellow Wine’s ankles and yanking him down towards the wood floor. He fell with a hard smack, moaning in pain.

The trio stared at the twitching ponytailed man for a few moments before Ume Ochazuke clapped her hands together and gently turned heel. “Well! Might as well get prepared for the lunch rush! I’ll be downstairs, Master Attendant.”

Orange Juice finally relaxed, dusting her skirt and gave Reylen a worried look. “Usually he drinks away from the building, but it’s rare for him to be here like this.”

“I see,” Reylen replied, kneeling down cautiously as Yellow Wine was groaning against the smooth surface of the floors.

“....S-Should I go then? Do you have this handled, Master Attendant?” the long haired maiden asked.

Reylen was trying to think, asides from thinking of an alternative to cover the newly made window repairs cost that was blowing a draft into the hallway.

What Yellow Wine needed right now is sobriety and support.

“....Could you bring Jiuniang up here, please? And a few other things, actually...”

 

\--

Jiuniang had been close to Yellow Wine since their summoning conception, and yet she still stood timidly behind Reylen as the taller male tried to wake Yellow Wine up. She was aware of Yellow Wine’s tendency to drink heavily, but he usually did it at a safe distance, away from prying eyes (sometimes even wandering away from the Sweet Leaf, only coming back late at night to sleep his drunkenness off). There were rare occasions where he drank in public and caused a riot, but it was Jiuniang who would keep him in check. This happened to be one of those instances.

“Big Brother Yellow…wake up…,” she said, softly shaking his shoulder. He grumbled, struggling to sit up and was met with the worried faces of the tiny girl and the tired Master Attendant who sat beside him.

“...Whuh….?”

“Here,” Reylen answered bluntly, handing over a glass of water for the Food Soul to drink. “Wanna talk about it?”

Yellow Wine took the glass a bit too forcefully from Reylen’s hand, chugging the glass before coughing it up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm sleeve, grimacing. Jiuniang squirmed into Reylen’s back, a bit fearful of what was happening to her older brother figure.

“...Did you want some food?” Reylen said quietly. He had to stay steadfast. Feeling uncomfortable about Yellow Wine’s behavior wasn’t going to get them nowhere. What Reylen needed to do is offer as much dignity towards the Food Soul as much as he can.

Even with Yellow Wine glaring him down.

“If I eat, you’ll fuck off, right?”

Jiuniang had pulled away from the safety of Reylen’s side, clearly not taking her other brother figure’s behavior any longer. She placed her hands on top of his knees, her pink eyes severe with concern.

“Big Brother Yellow! Big Brother Reylen is only trying to help, please don’t...don’t say such bad things…”

Her way of speaking always had an instant effect over Yellow Wine. He recoiled, bowing his head, hugged his knees into himself and leaned against the wall, mumbling an apology towards the girl. In a different time, Reylen would have called the Food Soul’s behavior pathetic, but he had learned from past experiences. Instead of punishment for Yellow Wine’s actions, Reylen needed to give some much needed reinforcement.

Jiuniang scooted between Yellow Wine and Reylen, leaning against the ponytailed man. “We...uh...can cook your favourite food, maybe?”

“Mm.”

Reylen tilted his head towards Jiuniang, nodding. “Yeah, let’s cook it together. If...that’s okay with you, Yellow Wine.”

The two watched as Yellow Wine mumbled to himself for a few moments. Patience wavered between them, only breaking with Yellow Wine’s sayso.

Finally, Yellow Wine pulled away from the wall, giving Jiuniang a tired look. “Let’s fucking get this over with.”

Progress, at least.

 

\--

Ume Ochazuke had given the three a portion of the kitchen while she and Pudding worked on dishes for the customers. Reylen had gotten a large steel bowl filled to the brim with dark octopus legs and a few green peppers laid out on a cutting board. He had also brought out a bottle, half full with soy sauce and a few cloves of garlic.

“We had a bad experience cooking braised octopus the first time. Let’s try cooking it together. What say you?” the slate haired man said

“Just so you know in advance, I fucking blow at cooking,” Yellow Wine replied, resting an elbow on top of the kitchen counter, giving a bored look. The pink was still in his cheeks, but he seemed more calm now.

“Then we can have Jiuniang to help you out, ok?” Reylen motioned towards Jiuniang, who was getting her special stool (a bright magenta foot stool) propped up near the counter. She got herself into position, giving Reylen a determined look.

“Alright, you guys set? So first, I’ve thawed a few pieces of octopus. We’re gonna rinse it, so make sure to clean the suckers on the tentacles.”

Yellow Wine grimaced. “We’re gonna _what?”_

Reylen gave Yellow Wine the bowl of octopus, motioning towards the sink and sporting a polite smile. “Rinse it, please. Jiuniang will show you how to clean the suckers properly.”

With a confused look, he followed the petite girl to the sink and followed her lead in cleaning the octopus. He was clumsy in getting his fingers between the sticky suckers, while Jiuniang, having done this chore quite a time, was deft at her work and was patient in teaching Yellow Wine how to clean them properly.

After a few minutes, they finally came back with the newly rinsed octopus and Reylen directed them towards a pot on the one free spot of the stove. “We’re going to boil the octopus so we can tenderize it. It’s my little secret for this dish.”

“Okay, Big Brother Yellow! Place the octopus into the pot and I’ll go grab some water,” Jiuniang said happily as she went back towards the sink.

“Er...do I just dump it?” the ponytailed man asked hesitantly. Reylen went forward, placing his hands on Yellow Wine’s shaky ones.

“Here, I’ll direct you. Slowly tip the bowl into the pot, don’t be afraid to use your hands to push them in.” With his guidance, Yellow Wine slowly tipped the bowl of octopus in and they slid into the pot with ease. He pulled away, giving Reylen a small triumphant grin.

“Was that good?”

“That’s it, yes!” Encouragement always seemed to work when Reylen was teaching his Food Souls small kitchen lessons.

Jiuniang had come back with a full pitcher of water and after filling the pot and setting a good flame temperature, the three went back to the counter, now ready to chop up the vegetables.

Jiuniang gave Yellow Wine one glance before tugging his hand away. “Big Brother Yellow! You might cut your hands if you cut that way!”

“What?! I’m doing it, ain’t I?!”

Sensing that the Food Soul’s snap of anger was beginning to rear its ugly head, Reylen went between the two, taking one green pepper and a knife. “Alright Yellow Wine. Follow my lead.”

After seething to himself for a moment, Yellow Wine had himself ready with his own pepper and knife. Reylen propped up one green pepper’s base on the board. “I want you to make a kitty paw with the hand holding the pepper.”

“A _what_?”

“A kitty paw, Big Brother Yellow!” Jiuniang said, mimicking the same hand pose towards the ponytailed man.

He made a grimace. “You sure it’s safe?”

“We’ll help you if it doesn’t become safe, I reassure you of that,” Reylen replied.

With reluctance, Yellow Wine took position and started cutting slowly. Heeding Reylen’s instructions, he was very careful not to falter his curled hand’s hold on the pepper. Seeing such attention to detail made Reylen proud that he was trying. He had only lost the grip on the pepper twice, and Reylen made sure to regard this towards Yellow Wine.

After the vegetables were cut into small pieces, Reylen had scooped the octopus from the pot of boiling water and brought it over to the cutting board. The steam coming off the newly cooked seafood was making Yellow Wine hesitant.

“Do...we gotta chop this thing too?”

“Yup!”

More hesitance. “But it’s hot.”

“Big Brother Yellow, it’s best if you chop it up while it’s hot, since we’re putting it back on the stove soon.”

While Reylen readied the next pot with the chopped vegetables, floating in a thin layer of soy sauce, Jiuniang helped Yellow Wine take hold of the octopus pieces and they chopped them up together. After some initial unwillingness, Yellow Wine had the chopping pose for his hands down.

“Big Brother Yellow, that’s a cool way to cut the octopus!” Jiuniang chirped happily.

The taller male gave a confident grin towards the smaller girl. Reylen smiled from the stove as he adjusted the flame.

 

\--

“So now we’re going to let it cook for the next two hours. Basically, we’re braising the octopus in its own juices and cooking it slowly will result in a nice, tender dish.”

The three were settled onto the counter, having finished doing the necessary dishes and cleaning. Jiuniang was waving her legs while sitting and Yellow Wine yawned.

“You really worked hard today, especially you, Yellow Wine,” Reylen said, taking a seat beside the other man. Yellow Wine shrugged. “I guess.”

“Give yourself some credit, you did really well today!”

“Yeah, Big Brother Yellow!” Jiuniang piped in.

The other male rubbed the back of his neck, his blush more from embarrassment than his previous hangover.

Reylen leaned over, propping his cheek into one hand “...May I ask a question? You’re free to decline if you want. I just wanna know...do you drink as a hobby? For attention?” He was probably taking a dangerous plunge in asking something so intrusive, but he wanted to understand Yellow Wine much more, even if it meant prodding into the most darkest of places. Again, he had given the Food Soul the option to not confide with him, so Reylen shouldn’t expect it.

The other male’s answer was instant, as if he had been prepared for this. “More like an escape.”

“...I see.”

Yellow Wine’s gaze looked distant as he looked at their pot on the stove, letting out a tender steam smelling of salty soy sauce. “I mean, it’s kind of my entire being an’ all, but I also can’t help myself, y’know? Like, it’s not a hobby to me, it’s just me wanting to feel...sane? If that makes sense?”

Reylen couldn’t tell him that he didn’t understand fully. His drunkenness and Yellow Wine’s were stark contrasts.

He clapped a hand on the other male’s shoulder. “It’s okay to feel that way. But you need to understand that your actions always has a consequences, whether good or bad.” The window upstairs was getting patched up with some wood boards by Tempura and Zongzi, but Reylen had to make sure that Yellow Wine understood what his previous behavior had done.

The ponytailed man made a visible flinch, his shoulders slumping. He had turned away from Reylen, now fidgeting in his seat with sinking guilt “I’m really sorry...I didn’t mean to. Fuuuuck, I messed up. Why do you even still keep me around?” He had cupped his head in his hands, now mumbling into a negative spiral.

Alcohol really made a mess out of people, including their inhibitions.

Jiuniang placed her small hand on top of his, pouting. Her simple action had brought Yellow Wine back to reality and he turned to her, giving a sad smile.

“Big Brother Yellow, I...I don’t want you to leave,” the petite girl said in a quiet voice.

“You...don’t?”

Jiuniang answered with wrapping her small arms around Yellow Wine’s waist. He slung an arm around her tiny form, laughing softly into her white hood. “I mean, thanks? I don’t plan to, but--”

“Don’t leave.” Her voice sounded final, pleading.

Yellow Wine gave her a squeeze and looked up at their Master Attendant. Reylen could only shrug with a small smile.

“See, you belong here just as everyone else does. You work just as hard and you’re more worthy of everyone here to stay. I don’t want you to leave either.”

He gently sent a soft jab against Yellow Wine’s arm, a gesture that Yellow Wine had done to Reylen’s arm in the past, their agreed-upon gesture of consolation. “”We’ll work on each other together.”

Yellow Wine gave a confirming nod. “Y-Yeah. I’ll do my best for ya, Master Attendant.”

“Not for me, for you too.”

The sound of the steam fizzling had brought the three back and they all gave expectant grins. Their labour was going to be well-rewarded.

 

\--

_Garnishes_

Reylen and his Food Souls had a separate private dining room for them to eat lunch in. Today, it smelled pungent of soy sauce, seafood and lemons.

“This is absolutely superb!” Crepe punctuated, chewing on a piece of octopus with gusto.

“Yeah, whoever chopped the pieces up did it really nicely, and I do mostly chopping!” Hawthorne Ball chimed in, waving her green pepper piece between her chopsticks.

Yellow Wine grinned to himself as Jiuniang served up another bowl for a drooling Long Bao. He thought to drink in celebration later, but was against it. He’ll save such festivities for another time. Master Attendant was depending on him for dishes later anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the cooking methods used in this chap is all legit. google it up and don't be afraid of cutting up a good ol' chunk of octopus.
> 
> A rare 3k chap! I really like characters like Yellow Wine who are jerks with hearts of gold. I really wanted to delve into his sibling bond with Jiuniang and I also tried my hand on, uh, I guess cooking a thing? It was interesting to write, but I'm sorry if it seemed to drag ;;
> 
> This is kind of a personal chap for me. Other than schooling, I've been going through another slump again and I didn't want to come back with a half-assed chap. Trying to be kind to myself is hard!!   
> This is my huge love letter to my collected Food Souls so far, and I want to have a sound mind when I write it. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. I hope you understand.
> 
> Shoutout to Katnumn! Your second comment truly touched my heart, since I was severely doubting my abilities in the past few weeks. I really do appreciate such comments like what you left me <3 I'll do my best.
> 
> Next chap is gonna focus on a certain pairing and the importance of leadership...even when you decide to choose someone who doesn't want anything to do with it :')


	23. Egg Tart Crumbles (Pastel de Nata)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Depictions of burning and burn imagery in this one, please take heed!

_“No great pastry chef has sweet teeth.” - Morley Safer_

 

Leadership was its own class. For one to be a leader, they must embody assertiveness, adaptability, and tactful. Such skills came with time and continuous effort, and even with consistent practice, being a leader was a life skill that few had mastered.

For some, being proficient in the act of leadership wasn’t their specialty. Delegating a diverse crowd of people may not be one’s cup of tea, nor the prospects of even understanding the team seemed like a good incentive to convince one who _loathed_ being a leader.

Pastel de Nata, as Reylen had found out far too quickly, was one of those individuals who didn’t work well with such a concept.

Leadership also meant seeking and taking responsibility for one’s actions. A certain event had happened to convince Pastel de Nata that being in the forefront of orders...wasn’t so bad.

He still wouldn’t do it the next time, let’s be real here.

 

\--

“Master Attendant, please wait a moment.”

“Foie Gras, what’s wrong?”

“It’s…I believe we’re lost.”

Today’s Fallen Angel expedition had led Reylen’s team out into the Light Kingdom’s vast Spring Valley. They were tasked to find an Amazake and an Aizen who had teamed up in causing havoc at a nearby village.

On this particular day, Reylen didn’t pick out his teammates for this specific excursion. He had chosen Pastel de Nata to do that. The day before they went out for their Fallen Angel journey, he had asked Pastel de Nata to be the group’s Leader, per suggestion by his superior Olivia.

He was met with an awkward silence and Pastel de Nata giving a blunt response that he’ll ‘try.’

The next day, Napoleon Cake (the only one Pastel de Nata really talked to since his summoning), Coffee (“he looks tame enough”) Foie Gras (“need at least someone with power sense in this team”) and Escargot (“...yeah sure.”) were chosen.

Reylen had only one complaint, and that he was to be the initial healer for their team. At first, Reylen was reluctant but after getting a pep talk from Black Tea and helpful advice from Milk, he had decided to go along with Pastel de Nata’s decision. He was desperately hoping their Fallen battle would go smoothly.

As soon as they reached a certain part of Spring Valley, Reylen had been stopped by Foie Gras and now the group were in a small grove overlooking the valley, rereading their map.

“Paste de Nata, are you _absolutely sure_ that this is the route we’re supposed to be on?” Reylen asked, settling to sit on a fallen rock.

“I don’t mind getting lost, but the sun is going down in a few hours, and I’d rather we find lodging before getting ambushed,” Coffee also admitted, taking Reylen’s other side and leaning his back against his partner. His eyes behind his shades were peering up at the now fading sun. Since it was nearing the end of autumn, it would get darker far quicker than before.

“I…( _yawnnn)_...don’t mind just sleeping out here, really…,” Escargot droned out, propping his pillow against a willow tree’s trunk that they were under. Reylen was worried that he now had him and Tangyuan’s narcolepsy thing to deal with. Foie Gras floated near the snoozing boy, sighing. She had taken a small shine towards Escargot, often looking after him should he sleep in a random spot.

Meanwhile, their leader in question was looking down at the valley. It had been a pleasant hike, but his permanent frown on his face said otherwise. Napoleon Cake had went beside the other brunet, nudging his arm.

“Got any ideas, _partenaire?_ ”

He was met with Pastel de Nata’s blank look, who shrugged and walked towards a dirt path leading to another willow grove down the opposite end of the hill they were on.

“If we hurry up, we’ll probably reach where the Fallen are.”

Reylen gently moved away from Coffee’s touch and stood up, joining Pastel de Nata’s side. “Are you sure you know where to go?” He brought the map and held it in front of the brunet to take.

To which, Pastel de Nata shrugged. “Dunno. I’m taking a guess here.”

Napoleon Cake went beside the two, mirroring Reylen’s frown. “That’s dangerous to do, Pastel!” He turned to the slate haired male, taking the map and studying it. “Where exactly is this village? Is it one of those hidden ones?”

Coffee stretched his arms and also got off the rock he was sitting on, walking over to stand beside Reylen. “Believe so. It’s a bit small but it’s still critical to us to protect it. The reason why we’re on this adventure is because this village is an _important_ venue for a _very important_ export for Master Attendant.” He had given a knowing smile towards Napoleon Cake while propping his elbow on top of Reylen’s shoulder.

“Eh? What export?” Napoleon Cake asked curiously, turning to Reylen.

Reylen replied with an abashed look, now adjusting Coffee’s arm so that he went around his shoulders. “I’m, uh, looking for Food Soul shards.”

One other method that Reylen had learned in order to summon new Food Souls was the collection of certain Food Soul shards. They were coveted by many collectors and if one collected a certain amount, they can summon a Food Soul through a special ceremony. At least, that’s what Reylen was told; he himself hadn’t tried such yet. He had a few back home, all separated and sorted out and hoping that they can be reunited with more.

“So, we should reach this village first to ensure that we can safeguard it, and then we can focus on a plan to find and defeat the Fallen,” Foie Gras summed up in her mystifying voice. She was also gently shaking Escargot’s shoulder awake; he yawned and slowly got up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Aha! I found it! I...think?” Napoleon Cake said, jabbing to a spot on the map. “It’s about an hour walk, if we hurry.” Coffee peered at the map to confirm, then nodded.

Reylen was about to open his mouth to agree, but then turned to Pastel de Nata. “What say you, Leader? Shall we head off?” Everyone else looked upon the back of the other Food Soul expectantly

After an awkward pause and the brunet looking away, he shrugged. “Do whatever you want.” He then made his way down the hill.

Reylen and Napoleon Cake exchanged worried glances. “P-Pastel! Wrong way!” the curly haired brunet shouted, running to catch up with the other.

 

\--

They didn’t reach the village in time; the Fallen that they had been hunting for had indeed ambushed their tracks, just a mere few moments before they could reach the village outskirts.

After a few minutes, Reylen and his group of Food Souls were looking for any means to escape; they were getting too damaged by the Amazake’s constant barrage of attacks and the Aizen’s interruption tactics to land any critical damage.

“We need to leave!” Napoleon Cake said desperately, as he was pulling a wincing Escargot by the hand.

“We must save time!” Foie Gras took hold of her staff and waved it furiously, causing a bright light to shine over the two Fallen and confusing them. The Amazake went to charge at a pile of hay bales while the Aizen nursed its head, its roar thundering.

“Oi, Pastel! Come on!” Napoleon Cake said, trying to pull the other brunet by the arm, only to have Pastel de Nata yank away from Napoleon Cake’s grasp.

“Thought you were better than this,” the ponytailed man growled out.

“ _Pardon_ , what?! We’re at a disadvantage here!”

“You have firepower, don’t you? Why don’t you let go of Snail Boy’s hand and help me?” Pastel de Nata had a cold edge to his voice that Napoleon Cake only heard when the other got really pissed off.

“O... _Oui_. I’m sorry, Escargot, could you…?” As soon as Napoleon Cake had brought his gaze down towards the boy, Escargot had broken out of his hold, running off sluggishly towards the safety of the willow grove nearby.

“ _Doooon’t mind me_ …,” his voice drifted off. Napoleon Cake sighed. Course he wouldn’t mind.

Escargot had joined Reylen and Coffee who were behind the willows and had the Master Attendant wave his Seasoning hand over his bruising head. “This is getting too stressful,” Reylen said, worry painting his every word.

“Should we book it then?” Coffee asked.

“I...I dunno. The Fallen are literally blocking the way to the village.”

“Mmmm, maybe we can go….around?” Escargot said, twirling a finger in a circle lazily. Reylen shook his head instantly. He had fought these Fallen enough to know that they were amazingly crafty when it came to trapping their enemies in. “These Fallen would know immediately if we tried to escape.”

“I really wished Miss Milk would have joined us,” Coffee pondered. Reylen also gave a forlorn look.

They had to make do.

“Napoleon Cake! Go!” Pastal de Nata commanded. On cue, the other brunet launched himself up into the air, performing his near perfect backwards somersault and landed hard on his feet, taking aim with his rifle.

“ **_The monster of Corsica is coming!_ ** _”_ Napoleon Cake shouted and took his special sniping shot. The Amazake took the hit, while the Aizen let out a roar, taken by surprise by Napoleon Cake’s attack. The uniformed man then turned to Pastel de Nata eagerly.

“ _Ton tour maintenant!_ ”

“Tch... ** _do not waste dessert!_ ** _”_

Pastal de Nata brandished the plate of egg tarts he had plated up and took a huge leap forward. He started to throw the egg tarts with his whisk, causing explosions upon impact against the Amazake and Aizen. He maneuvered himself to do a backward somersault, kicking the last tart and the dessert tray at the Fallen. After he landed on his feet, he looked at the results with a deadset glare.

It brought the Amazake down, but the Aizen roared, preparing its serpentine tail to attack.

Reylen suddenly had a strange phenomena happen in front of his eyes.

Perhaps it was floaters from the impending attacks that were happening. Maybe Pastel’s tarts sent so much debris that he had trouble seeing what was in front of him. Time seemed to slow, colour surrounding him seemed to gray, and Reylen could make out two faded red crosshairs on different spots of the Aizen’s body. Who was aiming those?

He took a quick glance around and it seemed the time slowed effect had been enforced on everyone except him. Foie Gras was in the middle of waving her scepter, the sparks of her charm magic glinting around her weapon. Escargot and Coffee had run in with their respectful weapons to assist Napoleon Cake and Pastel de Nata, the cloud of dust that they made from running having come to a paused standstill. Even their determined expressions seemed to be slowed.

Was this Reylen’s doing then?

He turned back towards the Aizen, now seeing the crosshairs a bit more clearly. So then what was he to do then?

He focused on one crosshair, near the Aizen’s shoulder, and without really thinking what he was doing, shot a jabbing finger towards the direction of the mark.

As soon as he made the gesture, time seemed to pick up normally again and the Aizen’s tail had been retracted into itself. It looked around, confused.

Reylen gave a small grin to himself while the others quickly attacked the Aizen. So he had that kind of ability…?

“You alright?” Coffee said, joining Reylen’s side and giving a quizzical look.

“Yeah just...kinda learned on the fly another new technique to help out.”

“Oh? You never fail to surprise, don’t you!” They both jumped opposite to each other, evading the Aizen’s alcoholic flame.

“I’ll try to do it again, gimme a minute!” Reylen shouted, running towards safe ground. He tried to focus again, hoping that the phenomena can come back to him. Such an accidentally found out ability was useful!

Sure enough, in mere moments the whole atmosphere changed and Reylen felt himself squint while looking for those accursed crosshairs. After finding three, he decided to take aim at one of the Aizen’s wine pots.

But before he can make the jab motion again, time had resumed far quicker than before.

He was now pointing stupidly at the Aizen, who had a wide and malicious grin on its face. It took a swig from one of its wine bottles and aimed its flame directly at a shocked Reylen.

**_“MASTER ATTENDANT!!”_ **

He didn’t look up in time as Coffee, Escargot, Napoleon Cake and Foie Gras step in front of him. The giant fireball licked through the willows surrounding them, burning them to a blackened crisp.

Reylen had instinctively brought his hands up and then brought them down, horrified by what was left.

Foie Gras and Escargot sported the biggest burns, knelt near the slate haired man and wincing while the steam on their bodies wafted off. Coffee and Napoleon Cake had went to stand in front of Reylen and tried to shield the male with their bodies, but they too had burns going down their backs and arms. They stumbled forward, Napoleon Cake crumpling to the ground, the feather on his scalded hat disintegrating. Coffee gently moved forward, resting against Reylen’s shoulder, the smell of burnt fabric and flesh forcing their way into Reylen’s senses.

Pastel de Nata had ran up to the group, scowling as he took Napoleon Cake under one arm and Escargot under another.

“We….need to go. We can’t handle this right now.”

“ _O-Oui...no shit…,”_ Napoleon Cake managed to whisper out.

Reylen leaned against Coffee, whispering. “We just need to escape. Stay with me, please…”

After slinging the blond’s arm around him, Reylen scooped Foie Gras in his arms, too scared to look at the state of her face and body right now. He quickly followed Pastel de Nata into the darkness of the willow woods, the roars of the Aizen still echoing faintly in Reylen’s ears.

 

\--

They found refuge in a deserted farmer’s cabin deep in the woods, consisting of just one room, consisting of two cots, a couch and a dining table with two wobbly chairs. There had been a meager amount of first aid supplies, patched up blankets and candles left behind and Reylen made do while treating his injured Food Souls. Foie Gras and Escargot rested on top of dusty cots while Coffee and Napoleon Cake rested against each other on a dingy couch. Reylen was getting drained from constantly waving his Seasoning hand to heal Foie Gras and Escargot, as drained as the flickering light of the candlesticks on the bedside bureau.

“Oi, take a break,” Pastel de Nata said bluntly, putting a cup of green tea on the bedside table near Reylen. He kept tiredly waving a glowing green hand over Foie Gras’s face, now beginning to soften from the lift of grisly burns that had once caked her face and shoulders. He had given himself ten minutes each to switch between healing Foie Gras and Escargot, and much later he also had to work on Coffee and Napoleon Cake, who had temporary bandaging and a hastily pulled up blanket over them, done by Pastel de Nata.

But Pastel de Nata was right, he wasn’t going to heal his team properly if he himself was getting fatigued. He finished another wave of healing then took the cup of green tea, sipping it slowly. Meanwhile, Pastel de Nata had went to sit on the window sill near the cots, looking at the clouds covering the moon. An uncomfortable silence, save for the other resting Food Souls labored breathing settled among the two.

“...Master Attendant.”

“Whu--Yeah?” This was probably the first time that Pastel de Nata had directly asked for Reylen’s attention, and by his title of all things.

“What would you have done in that battle?”

“Me? I...don’t know, to be honest,” Reylen replied, his voice hoarse from not having spoken in so long since they left battle.

“I’m asking so I can properly adjust what we can do better the next time.” Pastel de Nata’s tone seemed icy, but Reylen had noticed that the brunet’s look towards the window seemed pensive, a stark contrast to his usual stony cold look.

Reylen had mentally beat himself up for having chosen a Food Soul who clearly wanted nothing to do with everyone else. When they were walking in the woods earlier, Relyen had noted that Pastel de Nata didn’t come near Reylen when the Aizen attacked. He couldn’t blame the Food Soul for his aloofness, and perhaps Reylen assumed that Pastel de Nata didn’t want to also stick his head into such a dangerous position like the rest of the team.

But somewhere in the deep darkness of Reylen’s head, he wondered if Pastel de Nata didn’t regard him as strongly as everyone else did.

“...I was initially uncomfortable being the one healer of the team,” Reylen started, taking the blanket that had fallen into a heap over his feet and placing it over his shivering shoulders. “Usually with big Fallen like that, I always make sure I have a good balance of strength, defense and most definitely, support.”

Reylen squirmed in his seat, giving Pastel de Nata a tired smile. “I really should have built the team myself, but we did do our best today, didn’t we?”

Pastel de Nata slowly turned to look at Reylen, am incredulous look on his pretty features. “No. It wasn’t our best.”

Giving it to him straight, it seems. Reylen’s smile had faltered as he looked down at the cup of tea in his cupped hands.

“...But we can definitely do better the next time. That’s why I’m asking for your help.”

Reylen watched as Pastel de Nata made his way across the room, now resting a gentle hand on Napoleon Cake’s shoulder. The other male was snoozing soundly and gave a small snort, which prompted a twitch of Pastel de Nata’s lips.

Despite Pastel de Nata’s initial intention to decline any means necessary to be a good “leader” of this group, he still had good intentions, Reylen reflected.

Guidance is what Pastel de Nata needed.

“I think...our best method in order to tackle those two Fallen is distance and timing,” Reylen said, placed his tea cup down and now moved to the other cot and waved a Seasoning hand over a wincing Escargot. “I think we got carried away and tried to rush our attacks too quickly. We need to focus on keeping our distance, and make sure we time our shots right. You and Napoleon Cake’s combo attack seemed to do the trick towards that Amazake.’

Napoleon Cake hummed contently in his sleep and Pastel de Nata squeezed the other’s shoulder gently.

“Seems like a sound idea. Thanks.” Even gratitude seemed difficult for the Food Soul to dish out, as he had muttered it without even facing Reylen.

“Yeah, course. I just want all of us to come back from this battle safe and not too scathed. We still need to see if the village hasn’t been harmed too.”

As Pastel de Nata went to smooth out the wild curls of Napoleon Cake’s hair (a very intimate action that Reylen had never seen the Food Soul display before), he turned to the Master Attendant, as if realizing something.

“You were acting funny during the latter half of battle. What happened?”

Oh right, that. Reylen pulled his hand away from Escargot’s now healed face and rubbed his face down and trying to remember exactly what he did in order to come up with a clear explanation of whatever... _that_ was.

“It was weird. Time slowed, everyone was paused and I could see these...crosshairs on the Aizen. Once I directed my finger towards a crosshair, I felt that the Aizen got interrupted? If that makes sense?”

From the look on Pastel de Nata’s face, Reylen had probably lost him.

“...Maybe you learned a hidden Cooking Skill technique or something. Like the stuff that Ma’am Black Tea teaches you.”

“You think so?” She was going to have a field day when she learned about this. “But...y’know, the second time when I tried it, I wasn’t fast enough and that’s…” Reylen floundered. That’s how they ended up like this.

“Then you’re definitely critical for this next instance,” Pastel de Nata said quietly. You need to interrupt fast enough so pay attention when you’re able to tap into that strange power of yours.”

It was strange hearing the brunet give Reylen firm, solid advice. “I’ll do my best.”

“...then as Leader, I guess I’ll have to depend on you to do that.”

This was probably setting records for the both of them over how much they talked to each other in the span of a few minutes. Reylen’s unsettled anxiety had been replaced with relief.

“So...we’re stuck here for the night?”

“Unless you wanna go out there yourself, yeah.”

Reylen couldn’t change Pastel de Nata’s attitude, but at least the other talked to him as he propped a chair near Coffee and started healing up the burns on his partner’s shoulder.

 

\--

“Oh good, the Master Attendant is coming to.”

Morning rays had hit Reylen’s face as he blinked the dust out of his eyes. He got up from his curled place on the corner of the couch, the blanket that was covering him slowly falling off his shoulders. A cup of tea was held in front of him; he looked up and saw Coffee, smiling tenderly and devoid of the burns that marred up his beautiful face the other night.

“Rise and shine.”

“You...how…?” the slate haired man sputtered, sitting up and taking the tea from Coffee’s hands.

“You managed to heal up everyone before slumping to sleep on that rickety chair a few hours ago!” Napoleon Cake said, sporting a newly refurbished hat and went to sit on the couch’s armrest, proudly grinning. “ _Tu es absolument absurde,_ Master Attendant.”

Reylen glanced around and saw Foie Gras talking softly to Pastel de Nata, discussing something similar to the battle plan that he and Pastel de Nata settled on last night, and she gave her Master Attendant a smile of reassurance. Meanwhile, Escargot hadn't moved from his spot on his cot, snoring.

Reylen let out a sigh of relief, rubbing his eyes from salt and impending wetness. “I’ll...get myself ready and we can head off.”

“When you’re ready, of course,” Coffee interjected, sitting beside the other and wrapping his arm over Reylen’s shoulders, rubbing the other male’s arm to ease Reylen’s stiff tension away.

Reylen was due for another nap probably, but they had some Fallens to take care of this morning.

 

\--

Napoleon Cake proudly brought his striped banner out, raising it high enough so that the rest of the team can see.

_“Everyone! We shall extract the final blow towards those heinous beasts!”_

The quick speech had given a wave of inspiration throughout everyone and they all rushed to attack the newly recruited Amazake first before tackling the Aizen. Coffee summoned a giant wave of black liquid towards the Amazake, scalding it. Napoleon Cake also went and peppered it with bullets, grinning from the payback.

“Escargot, please shield me, I will handle this!” Foie Gras announced.

“Right, Sister Foie Gras…”

As Escargot heaved up a huge snail shell-shield in front of the elegant Food Soul, Foie Gras readied her staff as it doubled in size through her magic and prepared itself to land on top of the Amazake.

“ ** _Accept your punishment!!_ ** ”

The Amazake was downed in an instant, as fast as her scepter laid waste to it.

Reylen, meanwhile, kept at a safe distance, squinting hard at the Aizen and hoping those same crosshairs that he saw the other day would appear. Sure enough, the sequence of events followed: time slowed, the crosshairs came to view. He was quick on pointing a finger towards the Aizen’s hands, and as soon as time resumed, the Aizen was confusedly looking for the fallen wine bottle that had fallen from its grasp.

Pastel de Nata had joined Reylen’s side, giving a meditative look at the Fallen.

“The frying saucepan thing. Can you do that real quick?”

“The w--Oh! Right!”

Reylen readied his hands, blue light emanating from them and brought the magical form of a saucepan down over the Aizen’s head. It roared in pain, while Napoleon Cake and Pastel de Nata took up positions.

“Let’s do that combo thing again… _partenaire_ …,” Napoleon Cake said under his breath.

Pastel de Nata could feel the sides of his lips twitch with hidden mirth. “.... _T_ _ogether then_.”

Pastel de Nata launched himself up first, flinging his egg tarts with his whisk, while Napoleon Cake somersaulted, landing and taking aim. Their final shots both hit the Aizen at the same time and they both gave smirks as the Aizen was felled.

“Such a _stupide_ final attack, from such _stupide_ men like us.”

“You’re so annoying…”

Napoleon Cake took nothing of it except for Pastel de Nata’s smirk towards him.

 

\--

“Well...thanks, but, don’t make me do this again,” Pastel de Nata said to Reylen as they made their way out of the village, which was thankfully spared of the Fallen Angel attacks. Reylen had counted the small pink shards that were in his palm. They smelled faintly of sweet sugar, not as overpowering as Macaron’s aura, but Reylen had a feeling he had experienced said sugar before, in his childhood.

“I’ll take that to heart, but you really did well as our Leader today. We both learned something new, didn’t we?” Reylen replied, putting the shards in a special pouch and pocketing it into his long white jacket.

The brunet had already turned away, walking to join the others up ahead, but Reylen had definitely caught something akin to a sly smile on his lips.

“You’re so troublesome, Master Attendant…”

Troublesome, but Reylen definitely was right on choosing Pastel de Nata for today.

 

\--

_Egg Wash_

“Hmph! At least I landed on my feet properly this time, _partenaire!_ ”

“Fine, fine, _whatever_ , you did well. Doesn’t your hair get bigger with the amount of praise I give you?”

Escargot watched as Napoleon Cake laughed, trying to steal an egg tart from Pastel de Nata’s dessert tray and getting his face stuffed by a tart in return. There was also the sight of Coffee piggybacking Reylen, humming while their Master Attendant took a well deserved nap.

He gave a sleepy looking glance at Foie Gras who floated beside him.

“We…(yawn)...should try that combo attack again, Sister Foie Gras…We both work…(yaaaawn)...really well together...”

She had turned to look at the younger boy, taken back by a very light dusting of pink spreading on her cheeks. “I...oh sure…” She wasn’t used to be included in conversation with the other Food Souls, but frankly having Escargot’s lulling voice invite her for another team up attack didn’t seem too awful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reylen managed to do the Tap thing so late, come on reylen get yo ACT TOGETHER, MAN  
> ALSO, 4K FOR THIS ONE?? WHAT TO HECK. I REALLY DID JUST WRITE MY DRAFT IN COMIC SANS AND THEN IN A COUPLE OF HOURS I ALREADY HAD 2K. embrace comic sans, my fellow writers.
> 
> I'm still getting the hang of writing characters like Pastel de Nata. What a cold man. Anyways, choose your leaders wisely haha. Also! The specific area they were at is Spring Valley 8-3! Take that as you will if you're wondering what shards Reylen just got c:
> 
> Appie Pie quest is still happening, I guess? It's about to be the 7th day before it ends and I'm at 20 hats out of the initial 50 in order to directly summon her, but if I don't get her, oh well. I had a hiccup in logging in a few days back so that's on me, lmao. Meanwhile, I was able to get Yunnan Noodles but Milk Tea will just...appear when she can, GODS.
> 
> Thanks for the support as always. I'm on a battle-writing kick, so prepare for some really hastily done PVP next :3c


	24. Dishing it Out! (Tangyuan)

_“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” - Mark Twain  
_

 

The prospects of battling for leisure and sport was not very appealing to Reylen. He still wasn’t used to coming home after many a Fallen Angel battle with Food Souls needing constant medical attention, but perhaps he just wasn’t fortifying his courage enough to let them become stronger.

He truly regarded his growing group of Food Souls as family; sending them to battle often left a gross taste in his mouth. He knew it was the lifelong duty of his Food Souls, but he just couldn’t fathom them getting injured regularly. With Fallens, it was mandatory to battle, considering that they were saving lives in doing so.

Fighting for leisure? For the fun of the sport? Reylen couldn’t imagine having fun getting beat up for _fun._

Turns out, the new Arena that Reylen and co. had made him slightly change his outlook on that concept.

 

\--

A bright frilly orange envelope had been sent to the Sweet Leaf, along with a small pouch containing a few dozen medallions shaped in a weird clock design, carved with a circular insignia. Reylen had let some of his Food Souls take a closer look at the tokens while he read the letter. It contained an invitation to Gloriville’s special Battle Arena, along with instructions and a few rules to understand in order to enter. It basically described how one can accumulate Arena seasonal points and medals in order to succeed in becoming an Arena master. There were even some hidden rewards that can be received if Reylen chose to become an active Arena battler.

Reading all of the contents of the letter still gave Reylen an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Master Attendaaaant! Are we gonna try this Arena thing?” Tangyuan had went to hug Reylen’s free arm, looking up at him with expectant eyes.

“Err…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay! I think we’re tough enough to take it on!’ She tugged gently on the cuff of his sleeve, gently bouncing on the balls of her feet. Tangyuan was a very enthusiastic girl whom Reylen noted only hid her often misplaced and sudden sleeping attacks. She meant well, since she was supposed to be a symbol of fortuitous luck.

“Perhaps this can help hone our fighting skills a little bit more, Master Attendant,” Black Tea said, joining Reylen’s side and carefully scanned her eyes at the letter he was holding. “Shall I recruit a few people for you?”

“No, hang on, can I take a night to sleep on this?” Reylen wasn’t so sure about jumping into this newfound mess just yet.

“You could, Master Attendant, but passing up the opportunity while its there may be a bit of a mistake right now.” Black Tea said with a teasing tone and gently tapped the envelope over Reylen’s head. “I think it would be best to try it firsthand before you think of backing out.”

“I’m not backing out! I’m just unsure of this whole thing cause it _just_ appeared in front of me, okay?” Reylen retorted desperately. He didn’t catch Black Tea’s giggle as she went up to his office with the restaurant’s totals for the day in hand.

Reylen sighed to himself, and felt another tug at his sleeve. He had forgotten that Tangyuan was still hanging on to him.

“...Tangyuan, what do you think?” He said, turning to look down at her.

“I really think we should try it out! I mean, if we don’t like it, we can back out. But Tangyuan thinks we should get a taste of it first!”

Reylen frowned to himself. Usually he played it safe, but Black Tea did suggest for him to get himself ‘out there’ more often than not.’ He’s already learned from trying to get new customers in, and that had been a tiring ordeal already….

“...Wanna help me find some recruits for this thing?”

Tangyuan had finally let go of his arm, cheering. “Yeah!!”

 

\--

They arrived at the huge Arena stadium which led to the Showdown grounds. Reylen had decided on bringing Black Tea, Tangyuan, Tempura, Long Bao and Brownie. He had thought of bringing Foie Gras, but had went against it, as she was still recovering from the previous week’s Fallen Angel expedition.

Besides, he was really just testing this Arena thing out anyway.

They got registered at the front counter inside the Arena building. Reylen was told to choose from a random four team pool for his team to go up against. After carefully eyeing the roster, he had chosen a safe team for his own to attempt.

As they waited in a special area that they were told to get prepared in, Reylen went to do a huddle with his Food Souls (something that Olivia had suggested for him to do as their Master Attendant).

“So our first battle is going to be up against Tom Yum, Crepe, Milk, Ume Ochazuke and Long Bao--”

He had joined the others at turning to glance at their Long Bao, who gave a sheepish smile.

“It’s gonna be _so weird_ having to fight another me, I gotta admit,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Are you gonna be alright fighting another Milk, Black Tea?” Reylen asked. The dark haired woman in question had crossed her arms and had an expression suppressed with conflict.

“...It’s our first battle. I’ll learn to adapt quickly,” was her quiet response. Reylen had given her a briefly worried look. It was part of her nature to steel herself, but she had gotten quite close to her Milk recently. As she had stated, her steeliness would have to be implemented quickly here, even having to cast her own emotions aside in order to do so.

Tempura did a few leg lunges while Brownie made sure his huge cannon was polished and loaded with ammo. Long Bao had went to join Tempura in his leg exercises while Black Tea had gone near the doors leading towards the Arena and watching for their cue to enter.

Meanwhile Tangyuan was floating near Reylen’s leg, her head nodding off. He was still unsure why he brought her, being fully aware that she still had her sudden sleeping instances during battle.

“Hey Tangyuan, you, uh, gonna be okay for this battle?”

She instantly snapped awake, shaking her head furiously to wake herself up and looked up at the taller male with a small grin. “Yeah!! Don’t you worry a thing, Master Attendant! I’ll make sure to bring good fortune to our team!” She solidified her confidence with a stubby thumbs up.

He gave a thumbs up back at her, but couldn’t shake the anguish duking it out in the pit of his stomach. As soon as the doors had swung open for them to walk through, he mentally made a note to not eat such heavy stuff for breakfast whenever he was trying something new.

Taking Tangyuan’s boost of confidence on fortune, he hoped said fortune was tailing them as they entered the field.

 

\--

“Well that was quite the easy battle,” Black Tea said happily, daintily wiping sweat from her brow. She had initially held little confidence in bringing down the rivaling Milk, but after Brownie had launched his bright light beam towards her, she had discarded all caution out the window. Their fight took mere moments to triumph.

“It was very fun!” Long Bao said, cross legged on top of one of the wooden benches in the waiting area and sipping his strange brew of tea. “Though their Long Bao totally held his teacups wrong, that’s my one pet peeve. I don’t balance my teacups like _that_ on my head, but y’know, he hasn’t seen the stuff I’ve seen…,” he said as a matter-of-factly, mostly to himself.

“Did you see how Tempura just went and butted heads with their Tom Yum?! It was _amazing!_ He went **_KAPOOOW!_ ** And then Tom Yum went **_PABOOM!_ ** But Tempura was all _‘Nuh-uh,_ **_BA-BLAM!_ ** _’_ and it was AWESOME!!” Tangyuan excitedly shouted, waving and swinging her arms in loose punches to reenact the exact scene she had seen just moments before. Tempura meanwhile, rubbed under his nose, his cheeks turning pink.

“Hey, where’s Master Attendant?” Long Bao asked Brownie, who was sitting opposite of their bench, reloading his cannon.

“He went off to give his regards towards the opposing Master Attendant,” he said, motioning towards the hallway leading back to the Arena entrance.

Reylen was talking to a short haired youth, who was rubbing their eyes from crying (Apparently this was also their first time trying out the Arena). He had went to kneel to their eye level and was speaking quietly, smiling. Brownie had a hunch that he was trying to reassure their opponent that they did a fine job….it was very much his style. As soon as they parted ways, Reylen went to join the others.

“Master Attendant, are we going to try another battle? Is that why we’re waiting here?” Long Bao asked.

“Yeah. We’re on standby, but I wanted a few minutes to cheer up our previous challenger first.”

“You’re such a good sport, Master Attendant!” Tangyuan marveled.

“It’s, well, I kinda felt bad when they started crying after the match. I wanted to say something,” Reylen admitted.

“You give as much as you get,” Black Tea remarked, then turned towards the doors, which swung open for their presence again.

“Okay! Second round, you guys ready?”

They all pumped their fists up in the air, giving a determined shout.

 

\--

They were back in the waiting room after what seemed like a tediously long battle. It was a wonder how they claimed victory over the opposing team, which only consisted remarkably of three Food Souls.

Three **_very strong_ ** Food Souls.

Reylen had once again went to give his best wishes towards their cat headed competitor while his team went and reflected on the battle.

“You...don’t really think just how fierce Foie Gras is, huh?” Tempura said, rubbing the blooming purple bruises on one of his arms.

“If only our own Foie Gras had seen this battle. She often likes learning new battle techniques and despite the enemy having the same attacks, the way she executed them were a stark contrast to ours,” Black Tea also reflected, her handkerchief matted with sweat and faded gunpowder.

Long Bao winced after experiencing a small coughing fit, trying to clear his lungs. “Yeah, but...who was the weird guy with the pipe? He was so annoying!! Spewing his smoke everywhere! So gross!”

“I believe that was Peking Duck. I hear he harnesses the same power as Foie Gras,” Black Tea replied. She gave a happy sigh. “He was very formidable. If we had a Peking Duck in our team…”

Tangyuan meanwhile was gently floating in her soup spoon, watching while Brownie had his face cupped in his hands, elbows propped on his knees. He had also faced another Brownie in their previous battle...only, the enemy's Brownie had been wearing a completely different outfit compared to Brownie’s original butler attire.

“Are you…still wondering about…?” Tangyuan asked quietly.

Brownie’s light gray eyes were scrunched in thought. He now couldn’t get the other Brownie’s attire out of his mind. The hairband. Those frills. The hairband. The fluffy tail, the dumb striped tie, the skirt, the _cat ear hairband._

“...Am I not _that_ dedicated enough to Master Attendant? Should I also don a uniform like that?”

Tangyuan gave an awkward chuckle, then turned towards Reylen who finally joined their group again.

“I think we can do one more battle for today,” he said proudly. “You guys are doing great, by the way.”

“Thanks, Master Attendant!” Tempura and Long Bao both said at the same time, grins made and injuries forgotten.

“We’re very proud of your confidence as well, Master Attendant. We’ll do our best out there,” Black Tea said, standing up from her seat and dusting the front of her dress off of dust.

As soon as the Arena doors swung open, Reylen and his team were boldly running outside, eager for their last match of the day.

 

\--

The Master Attendants of the Food Soul teams were told to spectate from the side, as the Arena didn’t call for their usual Cooking Talent skills, and it was up to the teams to decide should they initiate their linked attacks with one another.

Reylen stood anxiously at his side of the Arena, his fingernails digging into his hands so hard that they would probably leave hard marks later.

Their latest opponents were an elite team of Food Souls that Reylen had initially decided they looked ‘tame enough to try.’

Brownie and Long Bao were up against a B-52 and a Crab Long Bao, who were already making short work out of Reylen’s team. The opposing team members both mobilized the space of the arena to corner and shoot at Brownie and when Long Bao had went to assist, Crab Long Bao leaped and ambushed the pink haired youth with a flurry of kicks, while B-52 shot a giant blue flame from his scepter towards the downed pair.

Tempura was facing off a wild giant of a Food Soul named Bamboo Rice, sporting nothing but luscious green spiky locks, hardened muscle and a loincloth (which both terrified and mystified Tempura). Tempura’s fists were unfortunately only blocking and not counter attacking the other Food Soul’s sword slashes. He was quickly getting tired, unable to keep up.

Lastly, Black Tea and Tangyuan were pairing up to take down the enemy’s own Black Tea and Milk pair. After one glance, Reylen’s Black Tea had hardened herself and had told Tangyuan to cover her while she tried to take down the opposing team’s healer with her flintlocks.

Reylen felt incredibly useless being at the side. He saw as the unconscious forms of Brownie and Long Bao were taken out of the arena in stretchers, and gulped. He had seen his opponent on the other side of the Arena (an overbearingly proud young woman sporting twin tails with rosy sakura clips and a wicked grin), and he felt sick that he couldn’t immediately pull his Food Souls out of the fight. It would mean surrendering, and surrendering too early seemed like a threat to his already battered pride.

Tangyuan swirled in her spoon as she avoided the enemy Bamboo Rice’s frenzied spin attack and tried to throw dumplings for Tempura to catch and eat in order to restore some vitality. Unfortunately, Tempura was in mid-grab and had shielded Tangyuan from getting hit. Tempura was immediately KO’d as soon as Bamboo Rice made impact. Reylen had sworn he heard the sound of the hard recoil as Tempura flew and smashed into one of the Arena’s walls.

Tangyuan, biting her lip, then leaped from her spoon while a bright green light enveloped her. That same light also covered Black Tea and she went to finish a few rounds, successfully downing the enemy’s Milk and Black Tea at the same time. Black Tea went to turn to her other surviving teammate.

“Good job, Tang--Oh no.”

Tangyuan’s spoon was gently hovering in the air while the Food Soul was slumbering, a worried look on her snoozing face. The enemy’s Bamboo Rice gave a wide grin (perhaps he inherited that trait from his Master Attendant), and quickly knocked Tangyuan out of the Arena circle. Both Black Tea and Reylen’s shoulders slumped in utter disappointment.

Reylen didn’t have time to warn Black Tea of the B-52 and Crab Long Bao duo coming right at her and he didn’t hear the Arena bell ring, signalling that the battle had come to a clear, decisive end.

 

\--

The slate haired man was told to wait in the same Arena waiting room space while his Food Souls were getting healed up by the stadium’s staff. Unlike his previous opponents, the young girl didn’t bother to give a glance towards Reylen’s depressed complexion. He had also heard her cackling at her Food Souls, saying _‘that **pathetic** Master Attendant really shouldn’t have made it so easy for us to win that, I was actually expecting more than just 5 minutes out there!’ _

He crossed his arms and leaned against a wall, trying to erase her words in his head. There was always bound to be those kind of Master Attendants who thought of nothing but glory. She just happened to be more confident in her Arena abilities, that was all.

Her words still stung and Reylen slumped farther, his arms hugging his chest more. It was his first time, he shouldn’t be beating himself up over this.

But...fuck, losing to such an enemy _hurt_ …!

Reylen didn’t realize he was being shaken by Black Tea, who looked much better than her form during the fight. His other Food Souls had surrounded his bench, all giving him the same worried expression.

“Master Attendant, are you alright?”

“I...yeah. Are you?” He gave a look over towards each of his teammates. It was as if that gruesome battle hadn’t taken so much damage on them in the first place.

“I’m good! The nurses here really patched us up good!” Tempura said, hands on his hips and beaming. “They even managed to give Long Bao and Brownie patterned bandaids!”

Long Bao happily stepped forward to show off his cute peach designed bandaids on his knuckles while Brownie reluctantly pointed at the bright cyan bandaid on his right cheek, designed lovingly with black kitten heads.

“But...you guys are okay, right?” Reylen couldn’t believe that they were just smiling, masking that they just lost to such a tough team.

“Well yeah, we did lose,” Tangyuan said, hopping off her spoon to join Reylen’s side on the bench. She placed a tiny hand on top of his. “But we learned that we’ll get just as good one day, right?!”

Reylen felt an invisible weight lift from his shoulders.

“We truly outdid ourselves in putting up with those guys, you know!” The dark haired girl snuggled against Reylen, humming happily.

“Are you by chance, bothered that we didn’t win, Master Attendant?” Brownie asked, taking the other’s side on the bench. Reylen shook his head.

“I was afraid of surrendering so soon. I might have been a bit _too_ sure about pitting you guys against such a strong team but I also felt really guilty as soon as you guys started losing…”

“It’s not your fault, Master Attendant! That jungle spiky guy was so much fun to fight with!” Tempura said boisterously.

“You...had fun?” From what he recalled, Tempura had been thrown across the stage in such a terrifying way that Reylen would have forgiven Tempura if he ever feared seeing another Bamboo Rice in the future.

“Yeah! I’d love to get some training in from a Bamboo Rice one day!!”

“And I believe I lucked out in meeting a Crab Long Bao too,” Long Bao said, smiling. “He’s got much for me to learn from! Brownie said he was also regarding our rival’s B-52 as well, right?”

Brownie only answered with a shrug and a small pout. Reylen probably sensed that Brownie was probably torn about losing as well (or perhaps there were other...underlying feelings that refused to surface in front of everyone. Reylen wouldn’t assume here).

“What about you, Black Tea-neechan?!” Tempura asked.

The elegant Food Soul sat beside Tangyuan, smoothing out her hair. “Mm...Well, seeing the other Black Tea and her Milk is now inspiring me to kiss my partner as soon as we reach home. My reflection didn’t seem as close to her Milk and this only got me attuned to my own feelings.”

The other Food Souls gave a mixture of incredulous and starstruck looks. Black Tea turned away, giving a small smirk.

Tangyuan turned to snuggle her face into Reylen’s arm again. “Master Attendant! We did really really well today!! Thank you for bringing us here!” she muffled out.

They weren’t bothered by the fact that they had lost. Reylen had realized that maybe he was the only person here beating himself up. It had only been their first attempt at this Arena thing and Reylen really should have expected better than winning throughout their entire attempts at being here. At least they had participated; even losing had seemingly given his team of Food Souls more insight on what to do better on next time.

Perhaps Reylen had to learn from their example.

“...Hey, so there’s a small cafe that’s right before home, you guys deserve a treat. How about it?” Reylen said, now standing up from the bench. It was finally time to leave today’s events behind and reward themselves for trying it out.

“Ice cream?!” Long Bao and Tangyuan said giddily.

“Mochi?!” Tempura also joined in with the other two.

Black Tea and Brownie laughed to themselves as Reylen was dragged (or rather, slung over Tempura’s shoulder) out into the twilight of the outside.

 

\--

_Defense Against Stomachache!_

Milk had brought a teapot into her room, now shared with Black Tea. Her partner was combing out her long black locks in front of Milk’s vanity and humming.

“Tea before bed?” Milk said in her quiet voice.

“Ah yes, of course.”

As Milk placed the tray on the nearby bureau, Black Tea had pulled Milk by the wrist and wrapped her arms around the other woman’s waist. She buried her face into Milk’s back.

“...So have you considered being part of Master Attendant’s arena defense team?”

Milk sighed, and turned to sit on Black Tea’s lap, pinching her nose. “We agreed to relax tonight. I heard that healers like myself don’t work as well in Arena fighting but…”

She leaned to kiss Black Tea’s forehead, kissing gently before pulling away from her partner’s hold and taking her bath towel and robe. “...I’ll consider it,” her voice finished, as she went out to take her bath.

Black Tea laughed to herself, her fingers touching the spot that Milk kissed, proof that her love was still there, even if Black Tea did down a reflection of her earlier today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reylen is like me, does like three showdowns for the Daily stuff and never touch it for the rest of the day. arena PVP folks are too powerful for our tastes haha.
> 
> Happy almost Christmas/Whatever you celebrate! My present to myself is APPLE PIE!!!!  
> And this chap is my present to you (tangyuan voice, may fortune find you all!)
> 
> I'm finally on break for a couple of weeks and I hope to dish a couple more chapters before the year comes to a close. I'm truly grateful to those who are reading this and leaving love in the comments and most definitely still just, keeping up ;w;/ I'll keep doing my best.
> 
> Next, we'll discuss the importance of appearances and oh, air ships. (the very bane of my Apple Pie quest lmao!!!!)


	25. Fresh Outlook (Sukiyaki)

_“I'm just someone who likes cooking and for whom sharing food is a form of expression.” -Maya Angelou_

 

Reylen had an inferiority complex when it came to his physical appearance. When he was growing up, he was often teased for his “way too serious” expressions and his inability to be social. He had been a very shy child, and as he was growing up it took him much longer for him to integrate with others. His Academy roommates often called him out for not joining up with them by his own volition. Reylen always played it safe.

And especially with his appearances.

He never really went too ‘out there’ when it came to his fashion. The most that he dressed himself with were old-fashioned turtlenecks, jackets and dress pants passed down from his father. He kept the one long bang thing due to a silly trend he started following back in his Academy days, but it was the only trend that Reylen thought ‘aged well.’

His mother had gifted him a special white trench coat that he often wore out during his Fallen expeditions and had faded chef uniform shirts and slacks for work. Asides from work attire, he stayed in the more conservative side of clothing, but often wore said clothing like an oversized tent; they hung over his lanky form. He also had a pair of glasses that he sometimes needed for far distances, but never brought himself up to wear in public. It was way too embarrassing. He never wanted to display himself too much, nor did he ever feel the confidence to.

And really, what for anyway? It wasn’t worth shit.

He had a job to keep up with. His appearance didn’t matter, all that mattered was feeding his customers and staying behind a professional smile. He really saw himself as a mollusk, hoping that what’s inside of his assumed grubby appearance counted more...and even then, he didn’t really pay mind to his external appearance at all.

There had been the odd cold day where Coffee lent Reylen his bright blue scarf and Reylen had seen himself in a passing reflection while out in town. He had been shocked over the vibrancy of the accessory against his plain, monochrome fashion. He felt too awkward and had Coffee take his scarf back.

Reylen just...couldn’t see himself look good in anything daring, or just anything out of the norm in general.

For Sukiyaki, one of his newly summoned Food Souls, Reylen was to be trained under a new regime: learning how to love his reflection when he thought it was impossible to.

 

\--

**_“Incoming air ship!! Please make way for the air ship, everyone!”_ **

Reylen had been told by Olivia to take a trip down to Hilena’s special Air Ship harbour, where he was to learn how to load up one of the Air Ships that touched base in the city in different intervals. He had brought along a huge group to the Air Ship port: Crepe, Macaron, Spicy Gluten, Zongzi, Sukiyaki and Tom Yum. They were to help him out with the necessary supplies that he was tasked to bring for shipment.

As Tom Yum and Zongzi helped each other lift a few boxes of flour and eggs on board (while Spicy Gluten was not-so-quietly barking at the two to place them in certain parts within the Air Ship), Reylen was marking down any other items he needed to pack on a clipboard. Sukiyaki took up his left side, resting up against the Master Attendant’s shoulder.

“So we got a few bowls of braised pork, carrot bread…,” this earned a tired sigh from Reylen, “...flour, eggs, and we just need a few bottles of soy sauce. We just need to have them placed into one of the special crates--”

“Macaron’s got it!!” The pink haired girl went to place three bottles of the dark liquid into one crate while Crepe followed Tom Yum in case he dropped it on his foot (which, had happened previously with the carrot bread box).

“Be careful with your footing! Honestly, why _do_ you trod around with your grimy bare feet anyway?!” Crepe shouted from behind Tom Yum.

“It’s part of my daily training!!” Tom Yum said, getting more agitated as Crepe’s heels clacked from behind him.

“It’s just... _unsanitary_! What if you step on a nail?! You’ll attract diseases!”

“Could you _please_ let me do this quickly?! I’ll be done before you know i--Whoa!!”

Tom Yum had tripped over an unforeseen floorboard. Zongzi slid on his knees to catch the crate in his arms before it reached the Air Ship’s metallic flooring. Spicy Gluten had also reacted quickly by snapping and releasing the end of her whip, wrapping it around Tom Yum’s waist and pulling him back onto his feet.

“P-Phew….,” the dark haired man sighed, gently placing the box against another. “Please be careful, everyone.”

Tom Yum, nursing his stomach, jabbed a finger towards Crepe, who had covered her face with her signature fan. Spicy Gluten giggled as she joined the others, giving the purple haired boy a small shove.

Once everyone was out of the Air Ship deployment area, Reylen signaled for the huge golden machine to take off. The group watched as the machine flew out of view, joining another flock of Air Ships.

“Wonder where they all go off to?” Zongzi asked, gazing at the scattered gold specks in the distance.

“I hear they fly to remote areas in Tierra!” Crepe chimed in.

“Maaaaster Attendant, can we go out to eat now? I’m starving!” Tom Yum whined.

“Oh he went to drop off the completed list, you need to wait a tad, Little Tom Yum,” Spicy Gluten teased. “Let’s just watch the Air Ships fly for a bit.”

Reylen placed the clipboard in one of the lockers inside the Air Ship’s hangar, ready for pickup by one of the Managers of the place. He swiped a sleeve over his sweaty forehead (it sure boiled in this building) and turned towards a bulletin board, stating new items for him to collect, in preparation for the next Air Ship. Looks like he was getting Black Pepper Beef, Salmon Fried Rice, some cucumbers, stamina bottles and…

“Cooking wine?” He had never gotten such an item before by itself. Reylen depended solely on garlic and soy sauce for his cuisine seasoning.

“Mm, we may be able to find that in the Marketplace, Master Attendant,” Sukiyaki said quietly, resting their chin on Reylen’s shoulder. They were like a shadow to Reylen, which had scared Reylen at first.

“You think so?” he turned to the other, his dark eyes boring into Sukiyaki’s crafty golden ones.

“Quite sure! But...y’know…,” Sukiyaki pulled away, giving a full look over at Reylen, of which the latter gave a confused look.

“We could send some of us to the marketplace and find the necessary items we need to load into the Air ship!”

Reylen perked up. “Oh yeah, we can do that, no problem! But what about the rest of us?”

Sukiyaki put a hand under their chin, giving a smirk that worried Reylen.

“Master Attendant. When was the last time you went shopping for yourself?”

“What? W-What do you mean by that?”

The Food Soul stepped forward, dragging a finger down the faded white lapel of Reylen’s jacket. “Clothes. I mean, not to drift away from the air ship talk, but my goodness your outfits are always the same old stuff! Dreary, a drab, and just overall _plain!”_

Reylen immediately stepped away, hands up against his chest, the habit having been natural instinct. “I’m good! I get clothes from my parents so I don’t really buy stuff for myself. I focus on my work, not on me.

Sukiyaki frowned, placing a hand on one hip, then went behind Reylen, taking the ends of Reylen’s jacket, thumbing it down.

“You _can_ work this style, but I believe a change of pace is in order! You’d look nice in a toned grey, or ooh! Olive! Have you considered an olive jacket, Master Attendant?! Maybe a scarf as well--”

Reylen yanked his jacket away, shaking his head towards Sukiyaki. “No. I’m _good._ ”

Sukiyaki tutted. “We’ve got the whole day in the city for the ingredients, think it’s about time to treat yourself for once!”

“Sukiyaki, could you please just--”

“Master Attendant, what’s wrong? Is Sukiyaki telling you some weird stuff again?” Spicy Gluten said, waltzing herself over to Reylen’s shoulder.

“N-No, they’re just suggesting that I should buy new clothes, and I’m totally fine with not doing th--”

Spicy Gluten’s lipstick lips were pursed into a huge ‘o.’ “ ** _REALLY?!_ ** What a splendid idea! You really _do_ need a change of wardrobe, Master Attendant!”

“See? What’d I tell ya?” Sukiyaki said, snapping their fan open from the folds of their sleeve and fanning their face.

“Ehh? What’s going on, whose shopping now?” Macaron and the others have joined the group, which further increased Reylen’s discomfort.

“We’re gonna shop for Master Attendant here! He’s _aching_ for some new clothes!!” Spicy Gluten said brightly, clapping her hands over Reylen’s stiffened shoulders.

“Oho! What a task I shall be **_highly educated_ ** with!!” Crepe pronounced proudly.

“Yes! Master Attendant does deserve some new clothes after what he’s been through!” Zongzi said, smiling, turning towards Tom Yum who had his arms crossed but nodding all the same.

“W-Wait, guys, please--,” Reylen started.

“Alright! After lunch we can make the necessary teams! Tom Yum, Spicy Gluten and Macaron can head to the marketplace to buy what we need, while myself, Crepe and Zongzi can accompany Master Attendant to get him some new duds! How’s about it?!” Sukiyaki declared.

Reylen couldn’t stop them from cheering in agreement. He sighed to himself. Hopefully they can eat lunch slow enough to forget to do such an activity…

 

\--

Unfortunately, they did not forget. As per Sukiyaki’s suggestion, they split into two groups (Tom Yum and Macaron being quite giddy about visiting the huge marketplace alongside a laughing Spicy Gluten) and Reylen was being dragged by the hand by Crepe, following Sukiyaki who was briskly walking past the crowd like a fish going upstream. Zongzi followed from behind the group, eyeing Reylen’s pained expression.

“Are...you going to be alright, Master Attendant?”

“Oh, he _will_ be, Zongzi! He’s just being a big baby over getting new clothes!” Crepe said, turning her nose in a snobbish way. Reylen cringed; getting categorized as a kid not wanting to go shopping with their parents was a low blow, but he couldn’t deny his discomfort over this event.

“Here! This looks like a nice place to start!” Sukiyaki motioned towards a sophisticated looking clothes store, its storefront showing off classy suits and blazers. Reylen shook his head, hoping that Crepe could at least loosen her steel grip hold on his wrist, to no avail.

While Sukiyaki and Crepe teamed up to find a few good pieces for their Master Attendant to try, Zongzi was in charge of sitting beside Reylen in one of the waiting room cubicles. They were seated in two of the fancy white wooden chairs that were positioned against the walls and Zongzi was also ordered to ‘keep a close eye on Reylen,’ in case he thought to walk off and escape. The Food Soul made sure Reylen was more inside the cubicle instead of near the curtains, the one way out.

“Really, I don’t wanna do this,” Reylen said, his voice full with fatigue.

“But this could be a nice way to show a new side of you, Master Attendant!” Zongzi said, trying to cheer the other male up.

“I don’t have any new sides to show.” Reylen muttered and turned away, now fuming. “This is just going to be a waste of everyone’s time.”

Zongzi could only look at Reylen with a saddened look.

“Oiii, open the curtain up!” Sukiyaki’s singsong voice chimed. Zongzi pulled the dark maroon curtain enough for the Food Soul to come in, arms full with a bunch of clothes. They unceremoniously dropped the pile onto the floor, grinning at Reylen.

“Since it’s just us, I grabbed probably...mm, 8 or so outfits for you to try!” Sukiyaki said triumphantly.

Crepe looked from behind her shoulder, giving a menacing glare towards the meek looking shopping clerk. There had been some strings pulled, it seemed.

Reylen could only grimace. There really was no way to get out of this. Maybe a few wouldn’t hurt...

“C-Can you guys leave so I can put these on myself?”

Sukiyaki and Zongzi traded grins. “But of course, Master Attendant! You just tell me when you’re ready to show your new duds off!”

The two Food Souls took a seat while Crepe was striking a conversation with the store owner (catching phrases such as ‘bargaining up a good deal’ and ‘your clothes _will_ look splendid on our Master Attendant so at the least don’t make a dent on his wallet!’). After a few moments of hearing some shuffling, they heard Reylen’s cue.

“R-Ready.”

Sukiyaki and Zongzi turned from their seated positions on a model table with a mannequin on it. They were quite eager to see their Master Attendant in new duds.

“Go ahead! Pull back them curtains, Master Attendant!!” Sukiyaki replied excitedly.

Reylen shyly stepped outside from behind the maroon folds, wearing a lovely dark navy two piece suit. The pants didn’t seem to swim over his legs, while the suit jacket fitted his form nicely and not like an oversized blanket. Even the white dress shirt underneath seemed to give Reylen a more casual, modern day look, showing a bit more of his neck (when he was so used to having a turtleneck on his person for most of his everyday wear). It made Reylen look far more business-like than before.

Zongzi crossed his arms, nodding happily. “What an amazing look you have!”

“Thank you…,” Reylen whispered, mostly to the ground. He wasn’t used to being the center of attention like this.

Sukiyaki placed a hand under their chin, squinting at Reylen’s new outfit. Reylen next didn’t expect a tangent from the Food Soul. “Yes, but I think you need a belt. Maybe the navy is a bit too much, considering the shape of your barely-there biceps--maybe we should try a different colour, something that brings out your eyes! And, oh wow, we need to tuck the shirt in--you need to show that you’re about _business_ if you wear this sort of thing!”

They went over to push the Master Attendant back into the change room, helping a blushing Reylen tuck said white dress shirt into his pants, while Zongzi turned away, also blushing from such an indecent sight.

“Oi, maybe we can try you wearing the grey pieces now? Or maybe the cute olive blazer Crepe found! We’ve got seven pieces to go through after all!” Sukiyaki gave a grin, holding up more accursed clothing.

Reylen sighed and begrudgingly nodded.

 

\--

_At the Marketplace_

Tom Yum eyeballed the ingredients in their crate. They had made some progress through the busy marketplace stalls, looking for ingredients needed for their air ship checklist. They were good with the single amount of cucumbers they already had in storage and were even able to buy extra to take home. Spicy Gluten had found an amazing deal on five individual salmon (but not before giving some _persuasive_ staring at the seller). They were banking in!

“So uhhh, do we gotta head back home to make the Black Pepper Beef and Salmon Fried Rice?” Tom Yum asked Spicy Gluten. They were taking a break in one of the eating areas, having bought some snack dumplings before trekking out into the crowds again.

“Believe so. We can’t just bust into another guy’s kitchen, as much as I’d love to do that,” Spicy Gluten said, sticking her tongue out. Tom Yum gave a grossed out expression.

“Macaron couldn’t find it!!” the pink girl bawled, meeting up with the other two. She was referring to the elusive Cooking Wine that was on their shopping list, and so far they couldn’t find a stall that sold the stuff. Spicy Gluten and Tom Yum also had torn looks; if they didn’t find this item, they’d have to pay precious Crystals as compensation back at the harbour.

“Have you checked the east part of the market?” Spicy Gluten suggested.

“Macaron diiiid! Macaron instead found a stupid _chili pepper and condensed milk sale for 3 whole blocks!!_ ”

“Hmm,” Tom Yum scratched the top of his purple locks, looking amidst the crowds. He had seen a few huge vehicles leave a certain bus stop and got an idea. “...Did we try the other Market across town?”

“Darling, that’s at least one tram ride if we want to get there fast enough,” Spicy Gluten said with a disapproving look.

Tom Yum frowned. “Yeah! But it’s like, what, ten crystals for a ride? It’s just ten. Besides, we have to stop by the Sweet Leaf to make our dishes anyway, right?”

Spicy Gluten and Macaron gave Tom Yum an incredulous look. It wouldn’t be _that_ bad to spend a few Crystals, would it…?

“It’s only 10! Macaron can make up for it later!!”

“...Tom Yum, be a dear and check to see when’s the next bus ride.”

“Man, I can’t wait! I’ve always wanted to ride the trams here!!”

Hopefully their Master Attendant wasn’t going to think too badly of them later.

 

\--

Reylen sneezed while Sukiyaki fixed the lapels on the beige jacket he was being told to wear. Must be the cold of the change room.

They had scourged through a few more boutiques and managed to buy two more outfits (added to the 4 that they bought from the first store). Sukiyaki’s pickiness and their way with sweet-talking to the many female store clerks they came across was the key to getting sweet bargains on all of Reylen’s new outfits. But unfortunately for Reylen, he was going to get a stern talking-to from Black Tea later due to his dwindling extra funds. Somewhere deep in his mind, he was also scared that she would still probably say the same thing that everyone else was agreeing on: that he didn’t have any nice new clothes.

The other thing was that Zongzi and Crepe was also going along with Sukiyaki’s plan to make Reylen ‘look great.’ Crepe was the accessorizer (she sternly asked Reylen whether he’ll consider floppy hats in the future), while Zongzi managed to find shoes that weren’t just loafers (Reylen’s constant go-to), and even managing to buy a few pairs to match the clothes they bought. Either way, all three Food Souls were quite giddy to make Reylen have a cooler fashion sense than before, but it was truly tiring him out.

Their latest stop was at one of Hilena’s high end chain stores. Sukiyaki and Crepe had their eyes locked on certain clothes hanging from the racks and returned with a good ol’ pile for Reylen to try on. As Crepe went to join Zongzi in the shoe aisle, Sukiyaki was the one who stayed in the change-room and helped fit Reylen into his clothes, making sure his under shirt was tucked in, getting a belt when necessary, and overall giving Reylen fashion tips that Reylen at the moment, really didn’t want to listen to.

“Now for this blazer, it’s completely fine to roll up the sleeves. You don’t wear watches but we could possibly save up for one later. Bare wrists are kinda sexy though! Remember to show your belt buckle but the main focal point is the blazer. We can also slick your hair back to give you that ‘fresh outta the shower’ look as well--”

Reylen slumped his shoulders. “Hey, Sukiyaki, could we please take a break for a moment?”

Sukiyaki pulled their hands away, golden eyes widening. “Oh! Something the matter, Master Attendant?”

The slate haired man sunk into one of the waiting room chairs, looking at the ground. His voice was gravelly due to having seldom used it throughout their clothing venture. “I...really don’t think I need this many clothes.”

“But you have such a dreary wardrobe back home! We’re just trying to help you out to make you look good!” Sukiyaki said.

“What if I don’t _want_ to look good?!” Reylen snapped back, giving the Food Soul a bitter expression. This took Sukiyaki by surprise. Upon realizing this, Reylen looked away.

“Master Attendant...do you not like dressing yourself too much?” Sukiyaki asked in a soft voice. They knelt down, propping their arms over Reylen’s knees and hoping that Reylen would look at them.

Reylen gave a frustrated sigh. He absolutely  _loathed_ being this way, especially to a fellow Food Soul who was only trying to help him out. Sukiyaki had the right to know.

“...I really hate dressing myself. I’ve never been able to put on anything else besides the stuff I grew up with. I don’t see a point to. No matter what, I believed that there was nothing out there that can make me look good and I just didn’t bother with it for all these years.”

He finally locked his dark eyes with Sukiyaki’s bright golden ones. “This is the most I’ve gotten attention for this, and I just feel like I’ll let you guys down cause I _know_ I won’t wear all of these as a daily habit. I’m at my most squeamish about this right now and I really don’t feel like I deserve all this. I’m sorry.”

After a few moments, Sukiyaki gently brought their hand up to Reylen’s face, and put Reylen’s nose in between their forefingers. Reylen winced as they pinched softly.

“On the one hand, I apologize for putting you through this today, but on the other, I wanted you to see that you look lovely in other clothing. You truly deserve the best and that means externally too, you know?”

They stood up, hanging a few of the discarded clothes spewed on the changing room floor onto the few hangers up against the door. 

“Has...anyone ever told you that you’re beautiful lately?” Sukiyaki asked.

Reylen felt his face burn. It wasn’t a thing he heard very often. Coffee said it on the fly (but that’s just how his Coffee was, and even then, sometimes Reylen didn’t bring himself to believe such a compliment). Milk once told him he had beautiful eyes and a beautiful soul, which Reylen really thought wasn’t all fully true. Reylen always discarded the word ‘beautiful’ from his mental vocabulary cause he personally felt it didn’t suit... _him._

The smile on Sukiyaki’s face was serene. “Asides from your cute boyfriend back home, everyone back home says that you are, Master Attendant. You need to believe that for yourself too.”

Reylen gave a twitch of a smile then looked down at the ground again, eyes welling up. No way was he beautiful. He didn’t belong in these high end clothes. He was okay looking plain. Today was taking a toll on him mentally.

No way was he beautiful.

Sukiyaki’s fan tapped the top of Reylen’s head and he looked up to see the Food Soul holding up a white handkerchief.

Reylen took the handkerchief and quickly wiped his face with it. While he wiped his face, Sukiyaki had managed to get him to stand up and slip out of the one beige blazer he was wearing, right into another. Reylen felt like he was being dressed by his mother when he was a child, and only made his embarrassment grow.

“Let’s see you in the mirror here, come on.”

As soon as Sukiyaki turned him around to the change room mirror, he was hesitant to put down the handkerchief that covered his face.

“Master Attendant.”

“No, please, I don’t want to--”

“Master Attendant, trust me. You’ll look good in this.”

“I...how do you know that?”

“I _know_ so.”

Reylen slowly brought the handkerchief down and then realized that Sukiyaki had put his old coat on him. He looked back at the Food Soul, eyes searching.

“...What?”

Sukiyaki snorted as they took the handkerchief from a dazed Reylen. “Told you! I love this look on you, a definite classic for sure. But today, I’ve always wanted to see Master Attendant in something new, and I’ve really just wanted to give you the finest tastes of looking your absolute best.”

They stood beside Reylen, patting the male’s shoulders, looking at their reflections in the mirror. “You’ll always look your best when you feel your best. But you know, it’s understandable to not like what you look like, Master Attendant.”

Reylen looked back into the mirror, seeing his sulky form. “I’m fine with that.”

“Oh, I suppose you are. This whole trip was the whole definition of that.”

“...You’re not going to scold me?”

“Pfft. That’s Ume-chan’s thing,” Sukiyaki said mockingly, gently giving a pat on Reylen’s back. “Hate yourself all you want but I’m here to tell you that you’re beautiful no matter **_what_ ** , and I’m here to help bring out the best flavours that you have, inside _and_ out.”

Reylen could feel his eyes well up again and looked away from his reflection. Sukiyaki gave a small laugh.

“Maaaaster Attendant, I’m serious! Let’s just get the one beige baby and the nice looking rose patterned yukata you tried a while back, then we’ll call it a day. How’s that? No more forced hands from me.”

The male wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve and nodded. “S-sure. But...I-I won’t mind trying on the one grey jacket behind you.”

Sukiyaki turned to look at the article of clothing that Reylen had mentioned and gave a wicked grin.

“Of course, my dearest beautiful Master Attendant!”

“Q-Quit calling me that…”

“But it’s true!”

Crepe had rapped her knuckles against the change room door. “Heeeey! They’re closing soon! Decide and let’s go!”

“We also have the Air Ship to pack, Master Attendant!” Zongzi said, a touch of worry in his tone.

Sukiyaki quickly placed the new grey coat over Reylen’s shoulders, then gave a high ‘hmmm’ sound.

“W-Was that...Is it okay?” Reylen timidly asked.

“Everything looks okay on you, but…”

Crepe and Zongzi had to step away from the swinging change room door as Sukiyaki pulled a bewildered Reylen by the hand, towards the register. Zongzi had caught Reylen’s old coat in mid air that Sukiyaki had tossed aside.

“ _Oh pretty miiiiiss!!_ _We’ll buy this coat out!_ ”

 

\--

Spicy Gluten gently placed the small crate full of three bottles of Cooking Wine (that took, unfortunately, 20 crystals to find) aboard their Air Ship and signaled towards Reylen that everything was up and ready to go. She went to join the others as their Air Ship took off to the skies again.

As soon as the golden machine flew past the border of the harbour, Reylen’s Food Souls went to turn towards him, ogling at his new look.

“What a very cute coat you’ve got, Master Attendant!” Spicy Gluten cooed, trailing her fingers down Reylen’s shoulder, prompting the man to shiver and shove her hand off.

“Makes you look like you’re a famous rock star or something!!” Tom Yum marveled.

“Macaron saw Master Attendant’s other clothes in Master Attendant’s shopping bags! Can Macaron see you wear them soon?! They look amazing!” the pink haired Food Soul said giddily.

“I can vouch! Master Attendant looks positively _stunning_ in all the things we bought him! Dare I say he could stun as much as his Saucepan could!” Crepe said proudly.

“Master Attendant really does look great, everyone!” Zongzi said, taking a hold on the many bags of clothing that had accumulated during their trip. “Shall we head off?”

As they made their way towards the paved roads leading to home, Reylen decided to trail behind the group. Sukiyaki stepped in like a quiet shadow once more, looping an arm around Reylen’s shoulders and gave a knowing smile.

“Still not used to the attention, mm?”

“It’s really embarrassing, yeah.”

“Dear Master Attendant, you may have to get used to it. You’re very attractive and you gotta embrace that, _beautiful_.”

Reylen hid his pink face in his one hand as Sukiyaki laughed. It would take probably a few more tries (or months) before he could truly accept Sukiyaki’s words.

But it’s a start. Like getting his restaurant off the ground, like learning Cooking Talents for the sake of protecting everyone, now even trying to love his image in the mirror can happen. Once again, he had such loving support from Sukiyaki and the rest of his Food Souls to thank for all these constant changes for the better.

In his heart, Reylen knew that truly loving his appearance will happen one day. Bit more clothes changes, maybe, but most definitely, it will.

 

\--

_Presentation is Key!_

 

Sandwich had finished up the dishes and heard Reylen and co. come back home. “What? You guys are back? You just went and cooked stuff then ran off!” He had been referring to Spicy Gluten, Crepe and Tom Yum from a bit earlier that day to cook their Air Ship dishes.

“Yeah, it was for the Air Ship! Didn’t we just tell you that?!”

While Crepe and Sandwich gabbed in the kitchen, Reylen hung his old white jacket on the rungs of the apron racks. It was due for a wash anyways. He then took the three heavy bags of clothing in both his hands, heading upstairs to his bedroom. Hopefully nobody would catch him before he could reach--

“Hey, you’re home. How was the city trip?” Coffee said, appearing from the storage room.

“I, uh, it went well! Air Ships are pretty cool, I got a few shards a--”

“Oh, you went shopping for yourself too! How nice!” The blond said, taking a few bags off of Reylen’s hands. His bright eyes behind his shades looked at the shorter male closely. “...Is that a new jacket?”

Reylen gulped. “Yeah. Sukiyaki really wanted me to get it.”

Coffee smiled his usual charismatic smile and leaned in to leave a soft peck on Reylen’s lips. “Very cute. Much like you, beautiful! I’ll meet you upstairs.”

  
Sukiyaki had seen Reylen race to the kitchen sink to splash some cold water onto his face. “Oiiii, don’t ruin the nice coat I _just_ bought for you!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> know why air ship takes that long if you dont use crystals, yeah, probably happens like this.
> 
> Based off real true stories of me going clothes shopping, so a bit of me fixating myself onto Reylen this time, haha. Get yourself a true bud like Sukiyaki, a beautiful friend who sees you as you truly are <3
> 
> Anyways, dont talk to me about the recent skin event, oh my GOD. I did manage to get Beer on XMas eve! But....yeah, foodfan really doing this to me :'c
> 
> Next chap will be in the new year, and hopefully not as heavy (who are we kidding, I'm getting the hang of writing bigger chapters, hehe)! Thank you for sticking by this silly story!


	26. Slowing Down (Escargot)

_"Tired minds don't plan well. Sleep first, plan later." - Walter Reisch_

 

What I found out about Master Attendant was that he really didn’t know how to take a break.

It’s a well known fact among us that Master Attendant never liked the idea of slowing down. As a head chef, it’s his job to keep his undying love for cuisine shining bright, and that included taking very little breaks as much as possible. A lot of his Food Soīuls have called him out on it, but since he’s only starting out as a new Cooking Attendant, it’s important for him to keep his momentum going before he could even consider the thought of slowing down.

Still.

It hurts to see him always working so hard.

I’m not a hardworking Food Soul myself. I do what I can manage, due to my constant sleep spells. Work is work but for me, it takes a heavier toll on me than the others. It’s a bit disheartening, but I do what I can. Having lethargic tendencies does keep me out of the loop most of the time.

Master Attendant gives me a lot of motivation to do whatever I can, and he’s really nice to not berate me for it. Sleep claims me randomly, but Master Attendant’s acceptance of my behavior never wavers. This is why I like him so much.

So maybe I _do_ sleep a bit too much. I do get some interesting ideas when I do wake up. I had this one idea where I could try to pull Master Attendant from his work for a little bit. I did hear he had a summer vacay a while back and he had fallen ill due to overwork, but he may need another after the winter festival here in Gloriville. There had been so much cooking and so much planning and so much standing around during the festival...I’m sure he definitely needs more than just a few days to sleep it all off.

So I did what I could and tried to pull in one of my best friends, Foie Gras, for my grand plan and we planned out one day for Master Attendant to take a break, just right after the New Year kicked off. He was on the verge of planning out new year’s lunches for the week, and I could tell that his fatigue was quickly catching up to him. Just one day would do the trick, I thought.

The thing is, planning and myself really didn’t work well together. I did mention I’m not a hard worker, due to my random sleep patterns. I usually staved off from grand ideas, and left it to other Food Souls to act on them.

But I wanted _this_ idea of my own to work so bad.

Master Attendant really liked the dynamic of teamwork. I’ll try to do the same thing in order for my grand scheme to go as planned...

 

\--

_Dawn - Sweet Leaf Residence, Upper Floor Hallway_

“Big Brother!!! Where should we put these boxes?” Taiyaki quietly said from the top flight of the stairs. The Sweet Leaf was in the process of a cleanup day alongside their usual workday. Dorayaki and Taiyaki were in charge of bringing up boxes full of decorations from their previous winter gala in the restaurant. They had already made two stacks out of three boxes.

They had also gotten wind of my little plan to make sure Master Attendant wasn’t doing as much of the chores they had going today. Hopefully, if all else goes to plan, we’ll have Master Attendant taking a nap for most of the day successfully…!

“I...uhh...Where _should_ we put these boxes?” Dorayaki scratched the back of his head, frowning.

 _Hopefully_.

“Maybe we can put it in one of our rooms?” Taiyaki suggested.

“Taiyaki, we caaan’t. Remember what Master Attendant said to us? We’re gonna be doing construction soon cause we’re running out of room for the new Food Souls that he summons so far!” The older sibling placed his box atop one stack and stretched. It was too early in the morning to be doing this.

The blonde girl pouted, shifting her hold on her box. “What about the closets?”

“No no! We don’t want someone pulling it open and it crashes onto them!”

“Then what do we _do_ then, Big Brother?!”

“Are things going okay up there?’ Reylen’s voice floated from downstairs. He had been checking up on each Food Soul who was tasked to do an restaurant-open chore, but he felt a little bit...unproductive today.

(Which totally was syncing into my great plan of keeping him from not working).

Both siblings froze up. “Y-Yeah, Master Attendant! Just getting these, uh, supplies to a room, is all!” Dorayaki shouted back.

“Do you guys want me to help out?”

“No!” Taiyaki shot back. An awkward silence followed for a few seconds before she shouted again. “I-It’s okay! Big Brother and I got it all figured out!”

“...If you’re sure!” Reylen’s voice faded from earshot and both siblings sighed in relief. They were not to have Master Attendant’s assistance at _all_ today, even if it meant him becoming suspicious.

They passed me as I was against the wall, curled up and trying to keep my eyes and ears open. I was in charge of being an eagle-eye but also making sure my sleepiness wouldn’t get the best of me. Here’s wishful thinking...

“Yo, Escargot-san! Trying to stay awake for longer than 5 minutes?” Dorayaki joked.

I gave a long yawn as a reply and gave a tilted smile. “Glad you guys are…. _yaaaawn_...keeping Master Attendant at bay.”

“Escargot-san, he’s still trying to find things to do and it’s only morning!” Taiyaki whined. “How are we gonna get him away from downstairs?”

I slowly shifted from my curled position and laid on my side, pulling my bare knees into myself a bit more. “I’ll...figure something out. You guys can just…. _yaawn_ …put those boxes in my room.”

“Oh...well, if it’s fine with you!”

I went to close my eyes as the two siblings made their way down the hall. Then I heard Dorayaki shout back, upon realizing what was wrong.

“But you said you sleep in the storage closets!!”

Taiyaki shrieked. “He _does?!_ ”

I smiled. Things will get rolling soon for my plan soon enough. Maybe I should go check downstairs and see what I can do to prevent Master Attendant from doing too much work...

 

\--

_Morning - Sweet Leaf Kitchen_

Sandwich, Pudding and Hawthorne Ball were in charge of today’s restaurant day. Pudding was in charge of a Risotto focus, considering their lack of other ingredients as a result of the winter gala. He had forgotten to cook a few batches of rice and was in the process of grabbing a bag from storage.

Which I had happened to find myself sleeping on top of.

“....Escargot, why are you here?” the sunglasses-clad boy said.

I yawned, getting up from sleeping on top of a huge bag of rice. It wasn’t the most comfy, but it was nice to have taken that nap anyway. “...G’morning to you too. Is Master Attendant... _yaaaaawn_...around?”

“No. He’s out sweeping the front.”

I used up a good portion of my energy to hop off the sack of rice and onto my feet. “Oh noooo. I have to…. _yaaaawn_ ….tell him he’s taking a break today…”

Pudding scooped the necessary amount of grains into the huge steel bowl he was holding and followed me out of the storage room. “And who’s to say he’ll listen to you? He’s very stubborn when it comes to work.”

“Ehhh? What’s this about Master Attendant?” Hawthorne Ball asked as she and Sandwich made their way over to myself and Pudding.

“Escargot has this ghastly idea of trying to stop Master Attendant from working today,” Pudding said, washing the rice grains at the kitchen sink and sighing.

“Oh?! That’s actually a pretty good idea! He’s been working his butt off lately, he should at least have a day off for once!” Sandwich said, crossing his arms behind his head and grinning. Pudding had passed him as he brought the pot of rice grains onto the stove to cook, giving a clearly disappointed look at the other blond. Sandwich gave a sheepish grin back. “W-Well, Master Attendant and Pudding work equally as hard!”

“At least some of you... _yaaawnn_...agree,” I said slowly, covering my mouth against yet another yawn.

“Okay! What do you want us to do then, Escargot?” Hawthorne Ball said excitedly. She was totally on board for my idea, but she’s always on board with anything that excited her.

Oh yeah. My plan.

“Well...uh…”

The trio gave me a mixture of exasperated and upset looks.

“You know you should’ve probably had a plan ready _beforehand_ , right?” Pudding asked.

I tilted my head, then nodded slowly. “Well...you guys can...I dunno, do what you usually do?”

They pondered this for a moment, Pudding being the more agitated between the three, before Sandwich snapped his fingers. “And Escargot can lead Master Attendant away from the restaurant for the entire day!”

“Yeah! That could work! I think? Will it?” Hawthorne Ball said with an uncertain tone.

“Well it _is_ Escargot’s idea,” Pudding interjected.

“Then we’ll do our best to take care of the store today! It hasn’t been too busy since the winter festival a few days ago!” Sandwich decided.

“I mean, we could ask for another Food Soul to help watch over us, you guys…” Pudding sounded a bit unsure about having typically their boss be pulled away from work. But even Pudding wanted to see Reylen have at least the day off for once.

“...We’re counting on you, Escargot.”

I gave a slow nod and a thumbs up with my pillow dangling from my hand. “I’ll do...my best.”

As I went to head over to the front, Reylen was just coming in from having been outside the front, broom in hand. He gave a small wave.

“Morning, Escargot. You’re up early.”

“I sure am... _yaaaawn_...It’s a feat, really.” I smiled.

Before he could walk over towards the kitchen doors, I had pulled the broom handle from Reylen’s hands. As he turned to give a surprised look, I kept a distance. Gotta make this as subtle as I can, before sleep overtook my actions again...

“Escargot, what’s wrong?” Reylen asked.

“It’s...uh. Your office. There’s something wrong. In…your office. Yeah,” I said slowly. I know I didn’t sound as convincing as anyone else, but surely he could take this simple bait for once..

“My office? What happened? Did some of my paper stacks fall off the table? It’s okay, I’ll get that sorted out later during lunch br--”

I gulped and shook my head as firmly as I could muster. “No. It’s….it’s a pest. You have to get rid of it while you can.”

Reylen’s eyebrow raised. “...Can’t you get help from another Food Soul? I gotta manage the restaurant.”

He was too smart for his own good. I went to take Master Attendant’s coat sleeve by the hand and started to pull him towards the stairs directed to his office. “I-It requires your attention, actually...I...I think your Cooking Talents is needed…”

Reylen gave a sharp “wha?” as I managed to drag him upstairs. It really had been a shitty excuse to pull him away from work, but if this is how it’s gonna be to get him to take a break…

‘Escargot, would you please stop this? We’re opening soon, and I can’t afford to be away from the other staff,” he pleaded.

I gently pushed his office door open and pulled my bewildered Master Attendant inside. Before he realized what was happening, a glimmer of blue light appeared from behind Reylen.

“Sorry, Master Attendant," I said with a tired smile.

“Wh--”

“My greatest apologies, Master Attendant.”

Foie Gras, having hid behind the office door, brought her scepter down over Reylen’s head and then caught his unconscious form. She laid him on one of his futons, and sighed as he groaned.

“Must I do this, Escargot?”

I yawned and stretched my arms above my head. “Please? He really... _yaaaawn_ …needs this.”

My elegant counterpart waved her scepter above Reylen’s head and his groaning turned into deep sleep breathing, being put under one of her charm spells. She pulled away, hovering beside me.

“Do have a good nap now, Master Attendant,” she said quietly. I gave her a reassuring smile.

Her patience must have waned pretty thin after waiting for me. But she was very considerate for wanting in on this plan. We closed the door to Reylen’s office, the sounds of his snoring fading from earshot.

 

\--

_Noon - Sweet Leaf Dormitories_

Yellow Wine had his arms crossed as he sat on top of his bed, the majority of it filled with boxes. Dorayaki and Taiyaki were trying to convince the ponytailed Food Soul to secure the decoration boxes in his room, but were being met with animosity.

(Probably cause he was still a tad bit drunk from Hilena’s extended New Year’s celebrations last night).

 _‘Pleeeeease_ , Yellow Wine-san!!” Taiyaki begged, trying to place the box she was holding on a free space on his bed. As she did, he kicked it off, frustrated.

“And I told ya two!! I ain’t letting ya take control of **_my_ ** space!!” He huffed, kicking another box off his bed, cringing alongside the siblings as the sound of something shattering from within the box now filled the room. He turned his reddened face away from the siblings, obviously trying to ignore them.

“You’re being stubborn! Out of all the rooms, yours is the most empty!” Dorayaki said, waving an arm around said barren room.

Yellow Wine leaned towards the younger boy, growling. “Whaaaat?! It’s not empty!”

“All you got here is your bed, a desk to put your empty bottles on, and like a pile of laundry!” Dorayaki shouted.

“Why don’t you want us to put the supplies here?” Taiyaki asked with a softer tone. “I-It’s only temporary until we’re done construction on the storage rooms…”

Yellow Wine turned his nose away. “Nah! No! I need the space for when I sleep on the floors at night!”

“That’s being stupid and physically irresponsible!” Dorayaki threw his counterargument.

Yellow Wine brought his hands over his ears. “You’re not the boss of me!”

“I totally am!!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“Big Brother totally is!!”

“He ain’t!”

As the two siblings continued to squabble, Foie Gras and myself had overheard the commotion and peeked our heads into the room. After one glance, I turned to Foie Gras.

“Hey. That... _yaawn_...that thing you did for Master Attendant. Could you do that again?”

Foie Gras’ pretty blue eyes narrowed in slight disappointment at me. “My powers are not fated to do such a minor thing.”

“But I don’t know…what else to do with this situation…,” I whispered. The small thought of wanting to call Master Attendant for assistance was ebbing at the back of our minds, but then my grand plan would be for naught.

Foie Gras sighed in mild frustration. In an instant, she was floating into the loud din of the room and before I could stick my head back to see, she had waved her scepter over Yellow Wine’s head. He collapsed backwards onto his pillow, snoring loudly.

Both siblings turned towards us.

“T-Thank you, Foie Gras-neesan!” Taiyaki said.

“It’ll only last for a little while. Please do your chores quickly,” she replied with a small smile. She placed a finger over her lips, as if telling the two kids to keep her secret. Dorayaki and Taiyaki grinned as they mirrored her action back.

As she left the two to finish up bringing boxes in, we both walked off in the hallway.

“...So we’re watching everyone’s fates for today, is that what your plan is, Escargot?” she asked.

I gave a tired, tilted grin. “It’s only for one day. Think things will be okay?”

Her tone was laced with her usual elegance but with a tinge of teasing. “...We’ll have the day to decide that.”

 

\--

_Afternoon - Sweet Leaf Kitchen_

“And this is why you let _me_ do the cooking, Hawthorne!!” Sandwich whined.

“But Pudding said it’s okay to cook this much rice!”

“Not _that_ much!!”

Foie Gras and I checked in with the rest of the other Food Souls and had only the restaurant to inspect. We were met with Hawthorne Ball and Sandwich bickering at the stove (filled with two huge pots of steaming rice, it seemed).

“Should we get help?” Foie Gras asked me. I stretched my arms above my head, and then put one hand under my chin. Now, what would Master Attendant do…?

“...Get...Orange Juice?” I answered finally. In my mind, Orange Juice seemed like the more responsible Food Soul to reach at the moment (Asides from Ume Ochazuke, but her and Jiuniang were in charge of laundry duty today).

Foie Gras nodded and floated off. As she did, I made my way over to the other two Food Souls.

“Hey…you guys doing okay?” Stupid question to ask, Escargot.

“No, we made too much rice!” Sandwich lamented. “Pudding said it was supposed to be just a Risotto special day, but Hawthorne went and made too much rice!!”

“I did not!! We could totally make different rice dishes _asides_ from risotto, you know!!” the pigtailed girl replied angrily.

“But then what’s even the _point_ of selling risotto if we sold other stuff!! We’re trying to sell _risotto!!_ **_And only risotto!!_ ** ”

I slowly blinked back and forth between the two, and began to feel my eyelids grow heavy. Fights could take such a toll on me…

The last thing I saw was Sandwich and Hawthorne Ball looking at my direction and quickly going to my side as sleep overtook me once again….

 

\--

_Late Afternoon- Sweet Leaf Office_

Reylen rubbed his eyes as he clicked his office door from behind him. He had taken a very nice nap that had helped his sore muscles take a bit of a breather, but now he was disoriented about the time of day and how he ended up sleeping an entire day in his office and--

Oh no, the restaurant…! He left it without his staff knowing it!!

He quickly made his way towards the stairs when he heard a yelp from the other end of the hall.

“...Orange Juice?” He was getting to know everyone’s voices by ear. Unfortunately, he was met with her straw swiftly hitting the back of his head.

Reylen slumped forward, only to be caught by Coffee.

“...Kinda rough, aren’t ya?” the blond said to Orange Juice, who pulled her weapon away and gave a cheeky grin.

“Escargot _did_ say we’re supposed to keep him sleeping.”

“Yeah, but with force? Kinda harsh.”

Orange Juice gave a shrug, beginning her way towards the stairs. “And that’s why you’re here to keep him occupied, if you know what I mean! I gotta help Escargot with something in the kitchen! Good luck!”

Coffee couldn’t stop his own smirk as he carried the unconscious Reylen back into his office. Reylen must’ve had a hard time sleeping with those rough cushions he probably used as pillows. Coffee didn’t mind having his own lap be used as Reylen’s pillow for a while.

 

\--

_Evening - Sweet Leaf Employee Dining Room_

“We need a **_SHITTON_** of drinks!” Yellow Wine roared as he slammed a wooden box full of sake bottles on top of one of the dining tables.

“Yellow Wine, we just had New Year’s, we’ll go over Miss Black Tea’s budget!” Orange Juice pleaded.

“To hell with the budget! Everyone, and _I mean everyone,_ is broke during this month! Me, Master Attendant, Master Attendant’s _mom!_ Besides, that Black Tea ain’t here, she’s out sweeping up for ingredients!! **_Let’s just get shitfaced and forget about that shitfuck!_ ** ”

I opened my eyes and sat up from the bench I had been sleeping on. When did I fall asleep?

Orange Juice had been sitting beside me while trying to keep a disgruntled Yellow Wine at bay. Dorayaki and Taiyaki was also in the room, trying to eat their heaping bowls of bacon fried rice and doing their best to ignore Yellow Wine’s complaining.

“...Hey, what’s going on?” I asked Orange Juice. She sighed, turning away from the sight of Yellow Wine trying to yank the box of sake away, only to be bridled up in a tug of war with the two siblings.

“To sum things up, I was told by Miss Foie Gras to come help Sandwich and Hawthorne Ball with their rice problem, and I suggested bacon fried rice, since we still had leftover bacon. Then Dorayaki and Taiyaki came in for dinner and then Yellow Wine came in soon after, but I don’t know why he’s still drunk…”

I tilted my head towards the trio of bickering Food Souls and saw Foie Gras float behind Yellow Wine. She waved her scepter over the ponytailed man’s head and he instantly slumped over on a nearby tabletop. Dorayaki held the box of sake, peering at the fallen man with a relieved look. He was snoring loudly while Taiyaki adjusted his hunched position over the table.

“...Perhaps my magic doesn’t fully make him sober,” Foie Gras pondered. “It really is just a simple sleeping charm I learned long ago.”

I gave a small chuckle. “It’s still useful, Sister Foie Gras….Thanks.”

Hawthorne Ball and Sandwich had arrived in the dining room, both done with their closing duties for the night. Pudding was still doing count at the register back in the restaurant dining hall.

“Phew! We managed to sell all our fried rice _and_ made a lot with the risotto!” Sandwich said happily, putting his arms behind his head.

“Yeah! Thank you, Orange Juice!” Hawthorne Ball said towards the fair haired maiden. Orange Juice replied with her trademark sweet smile.

“We did...pretty good by ourselves this time, huh?” I yawned, while Foie Gras decided to take the other vacant spot beside me on the bench.

“Yes, even without Black Tea, who usually helps manage the store!” Taiyaki chipped in. “She’s gonna see the place and go ‘oh wow! You guys did great!’”

“Yeah! We did pretty good by ourselves!” Dorayaki agreed. “I mean, if Taiyaki says so, then we totally did!”

Everyone nodded between ourselves in agreement and then an awkward silence, save for Yellow Wine’s sleepy snoring, finally settled amongst us.

“So...should we wake Master Attendant now?” Foie Gras asked.

“...The restaurant _is_ closed now, so it’ll be okay for him to be up,” Pudding said from behind Sandwich and Hawthorne Ball, who jumped a few inches off the ground.

“W-WHEN DID YOU--?!” they both shouted at the same time. Pudding adjusted his glasses with a smile.

“Maybe we should bring Yellow Wine back to his quarters and call it a day. Miss Black Tea and her team will be back at any moment,” the bespectacled boy pronounced.

“We can do that!” both Dorayaki and Taiyaki volunteered, shooting their hands up in the air.

Foie Gras and myself gave a laugh, leaving behind the group and we both made our way to the stairs.

“...Foie Gras, by the way,” I began.

“Yes, Escargot?”

“...I'm glad you helped me today. I… _yaaaawn_...didn’t think I could pull it off myself.”

My elegant counterpart gave a small giggle, something that always gave a warm, nostalgic feeling in my chest. “Of course. We are partners, after all. Besides, I too really wished to see Master Attendant take a breather for a little while. It seems even he was struck by Fate to overwork at this time of the year…”

I stretched and as we reached the office doors, I shrugged. “He’s a very hard worker...but burning out is something he doesn’t have to always…..y’know… _be_ ….”

“I understand, yes,” she replied softly. Which, I’m glad she did. She usually understood my weird trains of thought, no matter how weird.

“Sure hope Master Attendant won’t be too mad at us, do you think…?” I asked quietly.

Before Foie Gras could take a hold of the doorknob, Reylen had pulled the door open, giving a bewildered look towards us two. His hair looks frazzled and his clothes seemed rumpled from having been slept on a stiff futon all day, but I could see that the bags under his eyes had lessened.

“.... ** _You two_** ,” he croaked in his best accusatory tone.

Foie Gras and I looked at each other with a tilted smile, and we both bowed our heads to Reylen in apology.

“We’re terribly sorry, Master Attendant!” Foie Gras apologized.

“Hoped you...enjoyed your nap…”I faltered off, as I drifted down against the office door. Reylen and Foie Gras sighed and decided to let me sleep against the door.

Well, my day is done. I did all I could. And that’s all that really matters.

 

\--

_Off the Menu_

Black Tea recounted the receipts that Pudding had neatly placed on top of one of the tables in their own dining room. She wondered why he hadn’t placed them upstairs in Reylen’s office.

(She had been told that Reylen had slept the whole day, which both gave her relief and also terrified her).

She swiftly made her way upstairs towards the office door, only to find Coffee trying to nudge a sleeping Escargot from the entrance.

“...He probably walked with his eyes closed and decided to lock me in here!” the blond said, with a casual tone masking his embarrassing position at the moment.

“Should I ask why it’s _you_ who is at the office at this time of hour?” Black Tea asked.

Coffee had finally pushed the sleeping lad to have enough room to jog off towards the direction of his bedroom, his voice a little more hurried among his professional demeanor. “Can’t talk, Master Attendant’s probably in bed, gotta tuck him in, good night--”

Black Tea huffed. Honestly, responsibility would be out of the window without her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and just like the focus FS for this chapter, i wrote this....pretty slowly haha. i was on break!!
> 
> Happy New Year everyone <3 Not much to say, other than I'm posting this the day before I head back to school haha.  
> Not much is happening for Reylen in-game wise, except that he's pledged to another FS!  
> Who could it be? We'll....have that FS instance happen later in another chap. This is ongoing, after all. ;3
> 
> Thanks for your ongoing support! I've got Delivery Bikes, trust issues, bad fans and accursed chests for our last batch of chaps! Look forward to them!


	27. Raw Delivery (Sashimi)

_"You don't need a silver fork to eat good food." -Paul Prudhomme_

 

The Sweet Leaf’s delivery bike had become a mainstay staple to helping Reylen’s cuisine reach parts of Tierra that he never knew about. He had established a few teams that were dedicated solely for deliveries and every day, those teams went out and transported Reylen’s homemade cooking to folks outside of the city’s limits. It was a wonderful way for Reylen to get more clientele.

But the few weeks of sharing one bike between the Food Souls was beginning to take its toll. There was higher order demand and it was high time they had a few more bikes. Reylen had decided to muster up the funds he had accumulated during their winter holidays, and bought two more used Delivery Bikes from the Cooking Attendant’s guild. They looked the same way, with their lobster-shaped builds, and presumably, they looked like they would do the job.

Reylen’s Delivery teams were to quickly find out that these bikes had their own share of problems as soon as they were shipped to their home.

 

\--

“Are you sure you should be driving that thing with a broken helmet strap?” Sashimi timidly asked.

Today was another regular day. Sashimi and Zongzi, two regular Delivery companions, were about to set off on another run, when they had found that their usual bike now had two more identical buddies parked beside it. They had called Reylen and the other Delivery teams to investigate, and had learned that they now had a few more options for their line of work.

There had been a few doubts floating around the teams however.

“I’m sure that it’ll be just _fine_ , if the straps break all the way, then it’ll mean we can let it fly!” Ume Ochazuke giggled to herself.

“B-But we don’t want a civilian to be hit by it…,” Brownie said exasperatedly. They had thought to replace Spicy Gluten (who was known for her reckless way of delivering) for today. Ume Ochazuke had volunteered as her replacement, but Brownie, her partner, wasn’t so sure that she was as ‘responsible’ as she proved herself to be.

“Hey! This guy’s halfway done with his fuel!” Tempura shouted, looking over the third bike alongside Jiuniang, his temporary delivery partner. His actual partner, Yellow Wine, had been conked out from too much drinking the other night.

“Then you guys gotta stop by a gas station while you guys are out,” Reylen suggested, crossing his arms as he looked over the bike. He had an unhappy expression on his face while his hand smoothed down one bike’s patched seating. “Look, I’m sorry that we had to grab used bikes again, but I’ll use some of my pocket money to help with improvements later on.”

“It’s okay, Master Attendant!” Sashimi said cheerfully, stepping up and taking a hold of Tempura’s bike. “Since me and Zongzi have been doing this sort of thing for a while, we’ll take the new bike and fuel it up!” Sashimi turned and nodded towards Tempura, who gave a nod of acknowledgement. Jiuniang gave a quiet word of thanks toward Zongzi, who smiled.

“Then we’ll do our best with the other new bike,” Brownie concurred, while Ume Ochazuke nodded with her signature mischievous smile.

“Alright. Counting on you guys,” Reylen said. “You guys got your orders already?” Once the other Food Souls gave nods of confirmation, he smiled. “Then, I’ll see you guys later. Good luck!”

Reylen then turned towards the bobcut youth who was looking over the map. “Hey, Sashimi?”

Sashimi perked up and went to stand in front of Reylen, while the other Food Souls got their packaged bundles of food ready. “Yeah, Master Attendant?”

Reylen went to fish inside his coat pockets, taking out a slim cellphone and placing it into Sashimi’s hand.

“Remember to use this to communicate with the riders on the passenger seats. I know you’re typically the one who knows the routes and such, since you’ve studied the map already--”

Sashimi nodded vigorously, pocketing the small device in the folds of his robes. “Mm! Me and Zongzi know a lot of the usual places we go to!”

Reylen nodded. “So I’m counting on you to communicate with everyone else should they have problems, ok? You know what to do if a bike breaks down and where to find help and whatnot. Just help them out if another team member calls you.” He had thought to give the cellphone to Zongzi but since Zongzi was the one driving, Reylen had thought to give Sashimi a sense of responsibility today.

(But Reylen was quite aware of how responsible the youth already was).

Sashimi beamed. “You can count on me!!”

The slate haired man also handed phones to Ume Ochazuke and Jiuniang, who were also given instructions on how to use them.

As all three bikes were loaded and driving out of the Sweet Leaf parking lot, Reylen sighed to himself. He jumped slightly when Milk placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“You’re worried, aren’t you?”

“Yeah...the two new bikes came in and I dunno if they’ll make it through their first run today. One of them has a broken helmet...” he replied, uncertainty painted in his voice.

Milk kept a steady glance at Reylen, who was still glancing at the road where the three bikes were at a distance. She then used her one hand to shove Reylen gently from his thoughts. “...They’ll be fine. Worrying won’t do you any good, Master Attendant.”

Reylen gave a soft laugh and followed her inside the restaurant. At least he had Milk to help remind him not to worry too much.

 

\--

_Delivery Bike #1: The Mountain_

Brownie and Ume Ochazuke were in charge of delivering a specialty batch of Gold Cake up in a remote area nestled in Gloriville’s mountainside. Since it was Brownie’s first time driving on such a winding road (mostly uphill!), Ume Ochazuke was being as patient as she could while he got adjusted to the new bike’s controls. They were making their way around the curves up the mountain, relishing the sights of the forest. Uphill driving with the bike was going to be a slog, but they had been informed earlier to take their time.

It was an overcast day, perfect for a drive. The rays of the sun were filtering throughout the forest’s passing branches. A flock of birds were making their way towards the direction of warmth. Besides it being the start of winter, the weather was overall, pretty fair.

At least it was a fine day.

But then, Ume Ochazuke’s helmet flew off.

She had cried out as soon as the buckle of her helmet had slipped off her head. Brownie had glanced for a quick moment before realizing that he was driving into a certain curve, and having had to deal with a growing problem with the bike’s stiff brake handle. Before both of them knew it, the bike and themselves were skidding off the road. Brownie held on to the bike handles with an iron grip, while Ume Ochazuke clung onto one side of the passenger car with one hand and hugged their package of food in her other arm. Both of the Food Souls were able to brace themselves upon impact into a snowdrift.

The bike’s engine sputtered to a shaky stop as Brownie and Ume Ochazuke stumbled out of their seats.

“...A-Are you okay?” the younger male asked his partner.

“Well, I’ve been better,” she replied, checking the wrapped bundle of cake in her trembling hands, still in good shape. “But I’m more worried about our ride!”

Both Food Souls looked at the bike, half buried in the snow drift.

“I think there’s something wrong with the brake. It’s very...I don’t know how to explain it, rigid?” Brownie murmured, as he pulled the bike upright and tried squeezing the brake handle to confirm his doubts.

“Master Attendant was going to help with that adjustment. We’ll just have to make do a little more slower than usual,” the brunette said quietly as she cleaned snow out of the passenger seat. As soon as she was done, she took a quick glance around.

“Brownie-san...May I ask where we are?”

The other Food Soul had pulled away from squeezing the handle a few more times to adjust the firmness. Brownie’s grey eyes also surveyed the area. Asides from the vast forest as far as their eyes could see, the road was lined with small silver pipes with multicoloured knitted strings and a few signs that had strange Fallen Angel paintings portrayed on them.

“...I...uh…Maybe we ran off course?” he hesitantly admitted. He didn’t want to be honest with himself that they had not just run off course, but had also lost track of where they were.

“Oh dear.”

Both Brownie and Ume Ochazuke crossed their arms, both shivering from the cold mountain air and because of their new predicament.

“...Perhaps we can ring up Sashimi-kun! They’ll know where to go,” Ume Ochazuke spoke up finally, readjusting her hold with the cake.

“Ah yeah, forgot we can do that,” Brownie agreed with a relieved tone.He went to stand beside the brunette and helped her dial up the other Food Soul’s number. She took the cellphone in her free hand and after waiting on a few rings, Sashimi’s cheery voice answered through the speaker phone.

“Hello? Something wrong?”

Ume Ochazuke cleared her throat. “Hello, Sashimi-kun! Brownie and I unfortunately had a bit of an accident and now we have no idea where we are. Could you try to assist us so we can get back on course?”

“Oh yeah, of course! Are there, uh, any landmarks around that you can describe?”

Ume Ochazuke did one more glance around, Brownie also following her lead, and they both instantly perked up when they saw the string-wrapped pipes and the weird Fallen Angel paintings that lined the outside of the highway.

“There are these billboards that show a bunch of Fallen Angels!” Brownie emphasized, pointing towards said landmarks and then slowly lowered his hand down, as he had realized Sashimi wasn’t physically there to see them.

“And someone had thought to dress the pipes down the highway! They look very cozy!” Ume Ochazuke affirmed.

“Oh!! You’re at that part of the road...uhhh, so if you go towards the paintings, you guys will reach the third to last village on your map! You guys just need to follow the paintings cause that’s just the sign that you’re near people! Once you see a huge arch with a bunch of carved Food Souls on it, then that’s where you’ll stop! That’s where you’re delivering!”

Brownie and Ume Ochazuke both gave _‘ohhhs’_ in response. “Okay! Thank you so much, Sashimi-kun!” She tapped the cellphone’s button to hang up and gave the device for Brownie to pocket in his coat.

Brownie went back to sit on the bike, holding himself up more confidently than before. “Well, at least we landed someplace with a lot of stuff to pinpoint. We’d be lost if it was just forest,” he said half-jokingly.

“Yes! Very surprised that we even have reception out here…! Now let’s get a move on,” Ume Ochazuke replied, her voice back to her usual playful tone. She laughed as she hopped into the passenger seat and propped the cake package on her lap.

“...Ume, will you be okay without a helmet?” the younger male asked, now realizing that she was exposed to the elements and possible danger.

The brunette only answered with a simple nod of understanding, of which Brownie still wasn’t convinced with.

Brownie had snapped his own helmet on, deciding that he should probably stop by a garage shop to buy a new one with his sufficient allowance money later. They finally made their way back on the uphill road, applying a little less speed than before due to Brownie’s apprehension with the brakes.

They’ll get to their destination, even with their faulty brake, almost frozen over seats and the fear of flying objects towards a vulnerable Ume Ochazuke’s head. But Brownie and Ume Ochazuke would make sure their delivery would still end in success.

 

\--

_ Delivery Bike #2: Hitch a Ride  _

Tempura and Jiuniang had the farthest destination for their delivery of har gow, having made their way up into the winding Light Kingdom countryside. They had only the address of their client and their order written on their delivery checklist, which worried the both of them. Light Kingdom had a strange and stretched out layout with their residences.

Jiuniang kept constantly glancing at the address and their map while Tempura drove, following the young girl’s arm directions to certain forks on the road. Their bike, having been the first to arrive to Reylen, had a few improvements built into its design and function (from a refurbished passenger seat and buckle, certified helmets, and a replaced radio antennae). Their ride had been smooth, and both were enjoying the beautiful scenery of the countryside.

They seemed to have been paying too much mind to the passing scenery, as Jiuniang had to warn Tempura of a pedestrian who was in the process of crossing the dirt road. Tempura braked sharply and the bike skidded to a stop, just a few feet away from the elderly man in front of them.

Tempura took off his helmet and shook his long hair out from sweat. “Oi! You alright, ol’ man?!” Jiuniang also followed suit with removing her helmet and glanced at the human from her seat.

The elderly man, dressed in a suit designed with intricate Light Kingdom stitching on the cuffs, hobbled over towards the bike and gave a toothy smile. He tapped the bike with the end of his walking cane. “Hello, kiddos! Would you be so kind to let me hitch a ride to the nearby town down the road here?”

Jiuniang squirmed in her seat uncomfortably. Asides from Reylen, she wasn’t so sure that her shyness would let the old man sit beside her in the passenger seat. A part of her was beginning to feel the guilt of leaving behind an elderly citizen to walk on his own, but the other part was warning her that this could be a dangerous human.

Tempura, having already gotten the obvious hints of Jiuniang’s body language, gave a tilted smile towards the elderly gent. “Uh, if you don’t mind riding on my seat, sir. My companion here…”

The elderly man had already hobbled over and neatly sat himself down on the itty bit of seat space behind Tempura. “Thank you kindly! I won’t be a bother!”

The two Food Souls gave each other uncertain looks before Tempura started up the bike again. Well, if it was only for a little bit.

After several minutes of driving in complete silence, they had reached one of Spring Town’s small markets. Tempura parked near one grocery store and both Food Souls gave expectant glances back at the elderly man, who had hopped happily off his seat.

“Would ya kids mind if you waited? I gotta buy a few bags of rice for dinner tonight.”

“Uh...sure?” Tempura replied without realizing it.

As soon as the elderly gentleman went into the store, Tempura and Jiuniang turned to each other.

“Should we really be doing this, B-Big Brother Tempura?” the younger girl asked with a hushed voice.

“I dunno! I think it’s the right thing to do, but we also got this order to run!” The male rubbed the back of his neck. It wasn’t like him to be so hesitant over such a small ordeal.

Jiuniang gently placed the bundle of packaged food on the floor of the passenger seat, reopening the map and leaned her back against the bike. “W-We are getting close to our location. About...15 minutes from here?”

Tempura grinned as he looked over the girl’s shoulder, also following his eyes on the destination marked on the map. “Oh that’s not _too_ bad, but what if this guy wants us to deliver him to his house too?”

The smaller girl fiddled with her pockets, pulling out their cellphone. “I-I’ll call Sashimi and ask what we s-should do.”

“Great idea!” Tempura said, putting his hands on his hips and looking over as Jiuniang pressed the right keys to call. She put the phone against her ear, overhearing a few rings before Sashimi’s ever-so-cheerful voice answered.

“Hi! What’s up?”

Jiuniang gulped and then, with trembling hands, shoved the phone against Tempura’s arm. With a chuckle, Tempura took the phone, answering in his usual boisterous voice. “Sashimi-chan! We’ve got a question.”

“Yeah?”

“So we’re on our way to deliver, right? And there was this old guy who wanted to hitch a ride to the nearby town, so we did that, but now it seems he’s gone grocery shopping and he thinks we’re gonna ride him home! Like, I **_know_ ** Master Attendant would think it’s common courtesy to do the elderly a favour, but this delivery is kinda fragile too, y’know, and I don’t want it being _not_ fresh as soon as we reach our customer, it would mean bad reviews, and I don’t wanna give Master Attendant bad reviews to read, and ohhh, Sashimi-chan, I really dunno what I should do, I dunno what t--”

Tempura felt a tug at his wrist. He looked down to see Jiuniang’s pink eyes, wrinkled in worry over his sudden jittery babble.

“...S-Sorry. Kinda just need some advice here.” Tempura admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn’t want to admit that his own bubbling uneasiness was likely to have been inherited from Reylen.

Sashimi gave a giggle on the other end of the line. “It’s okay, Tempura-kun! No, I think you guys are doing the right thing for giving the guy a ride. You guys are more than capable of defending yourselves should the old man be, y’know, a threat, right?”

“R-Right…” Tempura frowned to himself. He totally didn’t think of that possibility. Sashimi was so smart to have thought of such!

“So yeah, I suggest that you just drop the old man off as fast as you can and then hurry with your delivery. It’s fine not to rush it though, since we did upgrade the bike to carry more fuel!”

Tempura snapped his fingers in realization. Right, they had the better bike between them. He had to make the journey count.

“ _Domo_ , Sashimi-chan! We’ll do what ya suggested!”

“No problem, Tempura-kun! _Ganbatte!_ ”

Tempura tapped the cellphone to hang up and gave a knowing nod to Jiuniang. “We’ll just be quick about dropping the ol’ guy off--”

“Heeeey, kiddos! I’m done!” The elderly man had come back, now waving a few small sacks of rice that were the size of his small palms. Tempura and Jiuniang instantly stood up in attention, aside from the smaller Food Soul hiding behind Tempura.

“You uh…need a ride back home?” Tempura asked hesitantly.

“Why sure! If you kiddos don’t mind!”

Jiuniang gave the taller, wild-haired Food Soul an anxious look, of which Tempura replied with a shrug back. Better to wing it, his expression internally yelled. “So where do ya live, sir?” he asked. Jiuniang, after steadying her breath, shyly offered the map for the elderly man to look at.

“Oh! Why, I live on this road here marked with the star that you kiddos made!” the man said, tapping on a certain spot on the map.

The same spot that Tempura and Jiuniang had marked for their delivery.

Both Food Souls gave surprised looks at the elderly human.

“...Did you happen to order some Har Gow from the Sweet Leaf restaurant?” Tempura asked.

The man perked up instantly. “Heeeey, I’ve heard of those guys! My niece always orders takeout from them! I was just about to head back home cause I’m expecting a delivery of some of their good ol’ haaaaar gow! Could you kiddos do me a good favour and take me back home real quick? I think they must be waiting on me! Actually, hey, yer whole bike kinda smells like har gow too! You kids know how to cook?”

Jiuniang gave a soft giggle behind her palms and Tempura snorted.

“...Alright, ol’ man, hop on back. We’ll take ya home!”

They would later have a long and winding tale of the old man’s exploits as a Light Kingdom fisherman. Jiuniang and Tempura were both grateful to have used their time wisely to be kind throughout their delivery run.

 

\--

_Delivery Bike #3: Seaside Witch_

Sashimi and Zongzi were at a gas station, several miles outside of Hilena. They were to deliver a new dish called spaghetti to someone near North Island. During their ride, Sashimi had gotten calls from the other two delivery teams asking for his assistance. Sashimi felt proud of himself for taking the calls as calmly as they could, considering the rickety ride with the new bike. Their bike was close to exhausting fumes as soon as they had reached the gas station.

While Zongzi fueled their new bike up, Sashimi had gone to pay and had also asked the station attendant about their delivery location on their map.

“You’d hafta take the nice scenic route alongside th’ sea,” the middle-aged gent rambled. “Why, I used ta ride up that there road on me own bike on me weekends off! Now youngins’ take it ta reach the North Island beach and such! Kissin’ an’ flirtin’, ya knooooow….”

“I-I see,” Sashimi replied, trying as much as they could to pull away from the man’s long-winding talking with his best polite smile. Zongzi was waving for Sashimi to come back from outside of the station windows. “Thank you for helping us out!” the youth said, bowing his head. They went to make their way towards the doors.

“Hold up there, kid! Gotta warn ya about somethin’ real quick!”

Sashimi stopped midway from opening the doors, turning back with their face frozen in fear. “W-Warn me about what…?”

The attendant crossed his arms, clearing his throat. “Heard there’s a so-called Sea Witch floating about th’ road. She’s got a ways for scarin’ travelers on that there direction you boys are headin’ off ta. Best watch yer backs.”

A harsh and deafening silence blanketed the two of them, with Sashimi beginning to tremble at the man’s awkward staring.

“...But heeeey, if ya get stranded, I suggest maybe takin’ our deal for some good ol’ shrimp chips an’ clam chowder, ya? In case ya almost starve from the sea witches clutches?”

Sashimi quickly scurried outside to a worried Zongzi.

“Did another gas attendant try to get your number again? Such a dishonorable man if he tried!” the taller of the two said with an angry expression.

The youth shook his head. “No... _for once_...but he was warning me that we gotta watch out for a sea witch, or something?”

Zongzi crossed his arms, his expression grave. “Perhaps he means a Fallen Angel?”

“It’s probably that…”

Sighing, Zongzi gave Sashimi their helmet, while also donning his own. “Well, we’ll have to do our best not to run into her.”

Sashimi jumped into the passenger seat, buckling up. “As Master Attendant always says, _‘run if ya gotta!’_ ”

Zongzi chuckled from within his helmet. “Indeed!”

They exited the station, now making their way towards the direction of the sea. Even with helmets on, the sharp smell of sea salt heightened the pair’s senses. There were seagulls that flew up ahead and very little traffic on the road. It looked to be a near perfect day to deliver their batch of spaghetti.

Zongzi then looked ahead on the road, noticing certain huge obstructions scattered about on the road. He slowed the bike down, parking at the side. Both Food Souls hopped off the vehicle, examining the area.

“...Shells?” Sashimi concluded. And not just any kind of shells, they were huge, spiky shells that reached Zongzi’s waist.

“Perhaps the tidal waves are huge around here?” Zongzi pondered, taking one huge shell into his arms and discarding it over the highway rails.

“Maybe it’s the Sea Witch that the gas station guy was talking about!”

Zongzi gave an exasperated look towards his younger partner. “Sashimi, I understand that you’re a little bit worried about what he said, but I think he was just trying to get some chills out of you.”

“B-but!”

“Besides, if it’s a Fallen Angel, then we’re more than capable of taking care of it. Or, we’ll just run,” Zongzi said. He started to don his helmet on again, going back onto the bike.

Sashimi gave the area one more longing glance, trying to get over their conflict, and then followed suit into the passenger seat.

As they drove further along the road, more huge shells littered the road, up to a certain point where the road was unpassable.

They parked once more on the side and both Food Souls went to throw the shells off the road and back into the craggy hills near the sea. This wasn’t the first time they had ran into roadblocks--and both Zongzi and Sashimi were more than capable to solve the problem. Their radio, crackling from feedback, didn’t even mention the roadblocks, which worried the both of them.

As soon as Zongzi threw two more shells, he wiped his brow. “This is ridiculous tide!”

“But Zongzi, are you _sure_ it’s the water bringing all of these shells in?”

“I’m s-- _Sashimi, look out!_ ”

One split second was all the difference, as Sashimi quickly turned. A huge shell had almost landed over Sashimi, and if the youth hadn’t rolled away in time, he would’ve gotten stabbed through by the shell’s spikes. Both Food Souls looked around frantically for the source, and both gaped when they saw what was above them.

A huge Fallen Angel, sporting wavy green locks and red robes, was floating above them, cross legged, grinning maliciously and holding another shell to throw.

“So we finally found our culprit!” Zongzi said triumphantly. “I told you it was a Fallen!”

“You totally said it was the waves at first!” Sashimi retorted back.

“...Forget that, we gotta get back to the bike!”

They ran back towards the vehicle, still unharmed. Both donned their helmets, Sashimi buckling themselves back into the passenger seat and Zongzi revved the bike back to life. Once they got the bike back on the road, another shell had landed where they had once parked.

“Don’t these kind of Fallen Angel reside in the continent of Nevras?!” Zongzi shouted over the engine.

“ _It really shouldn’t be out_ **_here_ ** _of all places!!”_ Sashimi wailed. “Is there any way to, I dunno, tell this guy to go away for a bit while we make a run for it?!” The youth turned, freaking out as the Queen Conch followed them in hot pursuit from within its shell.

“I don’t particularly suggest bad driving, but today it’s a bit dire! You have to distract it!” Zongzi shouted back.

Sashimi clicked off his seat buckle (albeit, very scared while doing so), then stood and turned from their passenger seat, facing the pursuing Queen Conch. He quickly whipped out his weapon from their robes, a sharp sushi knife.

“S-So what do I even do?!”

“Distract it! Maybe try to deflect the shells it tries to throw at us!”

Sashimi had to deflect one shell as soon as his partner had mentioned its attacks. Their grip on their knife was shaky, as Sashimi kept going through alternatives furiously in his head. What would Master Attendant do in this situation? They were much too underpowered for such a beast. Sashimi was fighting both his pride and the need to deliver their food safely.

He would have taken out the cellphone that was against his body, but then a splash of water from the impact of one shell made Sashimi look up. They looked around, then mouthed ‘aha!’.

“Z-Zongzi! Speed up!”

The other Food Soul turned towards the other. “Wha--You’re standing! It’s too dangerous!”

Sashimi blocked another shell. “I’m aware of that, but I have a plan to get away from this guy! We’re much too weak to handle it on our own, but we gotta make space if we wanna get away!”

Zongzi gave a swift nod, turning back to keep his eyes on the road. As soon as Sashimi felt the vehicle pick up speed, he pointed his knife towards the direction of the waves.

“ _Kanagawaaaaaa!_!” Sashimi yelled.

With some forced focus, he directed his knife towards the Fallen, summoning a huge wave towards the Queen Conch. The Queen Conch was hit with the harsh impact of the wave and surprise fish haul, even having a shark collide with the roaring Fallen. It halted in its tracks, hissing.

Sashimi gave a cheer as he hopped back into his seat. Zongzi laughed as the Queen Conch was now but a pinprick as they turned a corner into another road.

Sashimi was sopping wet from the leftover water that had also hit him. They shook off the excess with a grimace. His sandal foot tapped the one trapdoor under his seat to check the condition of their packaged food; it was dry.

Still, it didn’t stop Sashimi from whining. “All this for _soggy tomato noodles!!”_

 

\--

All three bikes arrived back home, safe and sound. Brownie and Ume Ochazuke both bowed their heads in front of Reylen, who stood at the front doors. Their bike had arrived in an even worse state than it was since this morning. Reylen had half-expected such a thing to happen, and he had given Brownie additional allowance money so he could take it to a nearby shop for much needed repairs. Meanwhile, Ume Ochazuke had giddily asked Spicy Gluten if she could try more deliveries for a few more days, of which Spicy Gluten happily agreed (Brownie, on the other hand, was internally hellbent to count up his funds so he could also buy a new helmet for his delivery partner).

Milk, having also joined Reylen in greeting the delivery teams, and had praised Tempura and Jiuniang for their own venture that involved another human. Tempura praised Jiuniang for having kept her anxiety under control in front of a stranger, while Jiuniang pulled her hood over, too shy to take all of their compliments.

Sashimi had happily handed Reylen back his cellphone and also placed two Food Soul shards into the master attendant’s palm. One was glowing a striking red, reminding Reylen of a bonfire, while the other was a glittering silver and cold to the touch.

“Thank you for helping us out, Sashimi-chan,” Ume Ochazuke said, before excusing herself inside.

“Yeah! You really helped us a lot today when I called ya up!” Tempura piped in.

Sashimi grinned to themselves. “Course, of course!”

Zongzi had passed Reylen’s shoulder, sporting a laugh. “Sashimi was pretty close to having to ask for help though. I’ll tell you about it inside.”

Reylen stepped forward and clapped a hand over the youth’s shoulder, smiling. “You did great, Sashimi. Thank you for looking out for everyone. I’m always grateful to count on you.”

Sashimi couldn’t stop the grin that tugged their very corners of their mouth. “Of course, of course, Master Attendant!! I’m always here to help!”

 

\--

_Best Served Cold_

Milk winced and had given Sashimi an extra towel for their bath. Sometimes Sashimi and Zongzi came back smelling like the lovely sea, but tonight, there was more brine to the wafting scent that the youth gave off.

She’ll probably have to check town for new bath salt scents for everyone. Having to smell either mud or Fallen Angel debris was going to stink up their rooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cellphones exist for this fic, and theyre waterproof and also imagine delivery teams taking selfies, thanks.
> 
> Phew! I've been lucky to have less homework for a little bit, so I was able to write out another chapter this week (and holy crap, it hit 5k)! Flexing them writing jaws mmmyee.
> 
> Not much to say, except good luck on getting Donut everyone. Another child for me to pick up...
> 
> Next, we're finally going to see a new UR! I truly appreciate all of you who have continued to support this fic!! <3


	28. Bittersweet (Gingerbread)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, suicide mention and death. Please be wary for this one!

_“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” - William Shakespeare_

 

As a child, Reylen didn’t make friends very easily. He lived too far away from other houses, and even more far away from other children. Because of this, Reylen had learned to make up imaginary friends and creatures that often came to play whenever he ventured out to play outside. Once his mother started to teach Reylen how to cook, those “friends” faded from his memories very quickly, being replaced with the feeling of not being able to fully belong with any friend group. He faced such a problem once he enrolled in school. He didn’t understand the social norms and had developed a sense of isolation, furthering his fear of not being able to successfully befriend anyone. He was polite enough...but actually maintaining a relationship with others hadn’t been into practice for the young man.

As he grew up, he was very introverted in his ways of socializing and Reylen had been quite worried that his lack of social skills would mix poorly with his growing family of Food Souls. It turned out that Reylen was learning such a craft alongside his Food Souls, and he was surprising himself with how relieving it was to converse; a trait he never knew he possessed. It was like cooking; the more he practiced talking to others and letting them in, the easier it got. Little by little, Reylen was learning to be more sociable, and it was by the help of his Food Souls who had accepted him from the beginning of their conceptions.

There had been some hiccups that Reylen had gotten over when it came to getting to know his Food Soul group members. They all grew alongside each other with trust and lasting kinship (and in Coffee’s case, a budding romance), so now Reylen was becoming more and more confident in his ability to befriend. Some friendship hiccups were a bit more intense than others, but Reylen had always made sure that faith between himself and his Food Souls were strongly established.

His greatest obstacle concerning the importance of trust happened when a strong warrior had been summoned forth into the Sweet Leaf’s family. As Reylen quickly found out, one’s past would be a key contributor when said trust had been mangled so much that one would assume it would never be used again.

It would be up to Reylen to help rekindle that burnt bridge for his new Food Soul to cross.

 

\--

“Guys, guys! Master Attendant is gonna try to summon again!” Tangyuan said, racing into the employee dining area. Long Bao, Napoleon Cake and Pastel de Nata all looked up from their toast breakfasts, having a mixture of curiosity and disinterest.

“Again? Master Attendant hasn’t summoned anyone new in quite some time! The last time was, I believe...you?” Napoleon Cake had pointed towards his brunet friend, while Pastel de Nata gave a small huff in return.

“All Master Attendant has been able to summon are more shards! It’s nice to absorb for us, but I bet you Master Attendant’s getting tired of summoning the same ol’ batch of shards everyday with his hard earned embers!” Long Bao pondered, fiddling with a bright pink shard in between his fingers.

“But guuuuuys, what if it’s today? What if Master Attendant actually gets to summon a new friend?” Tangyuan whined.

“Or a close enemy,” Pastel de Nata murmured to himself. Napoleon Cake gave him a shove.

Tangyuan puffed her cheeks up. “Fine fine!! Tangyuan will go back in there and hope that some good fortune can befall Master Attendant today!” She scurried off with the same puffed up expression towards the basement.

“If you sleep through the ceremony, I wouldn’t be surprised if Master Attendant gets a few more shards!” Long Bao shouted back.

“...Any bets as to who Master Attendant might summon?” Pastel de Nata bluntly asked the other curly haired man. He was beginning to learn to initiate conversation (once a day, though). Long Bao meanwhile, poured another cup of thick tea into his cup, slowly sipping it leisurely and listening to the other two.

“Maybe he’ll summon a huge dish! With big abs! That big buffoon Tempura might enjoy that!” Napoleon Cake said excitedly.

Pastel de Nata scoffed. “Or probably another you.”

“You’d go absolutely _absurde_ if another me was walking around!” Napoleon Cake laughed. “Naaaah, a legit guess that I have is probably Master Attendant summoning a dessert! A cute petite dessert? You know?”

“Petite? Like that pair of girls who go shopping almost every day?” Pastel de Nata was gravely referring to Crepe and Macaron.

“Yeah! Maybe another small, cute girl who’d probably hurt a Fallen by kicking their kneecaps in!”

Suddenly the whole building shook. Both men braced themselves against the earthquake while Long Bao’s teacup fell towards the floor, thick globs of tea spilling onto the wood floorings.

After a few moments of silence, Tangyuan hurried back into the room. She looked positively giddy.

“ _GUYS!! SHE LOOKS SO_ **_COOL_ ** _!!”_

“Yeah, but spilling my tea?” Long Bao grumbled as he got up to grab the mop.

 

\--

“This is Gingerbread.”

Reylen had brought in a young woman who stood tall in a proud way. She was short in stature, sporting a bright red dress, a high braided ponytail don with festive ribbons and glittered in the light, and she also brandished a huge sword and a shield, shaped like one side of a gingerbread house. A pair of gingerbread men circled around her in the air, their icing faces stationary in expression. She followed the Master Attendant silently through the hallways, her eyes that held golden crosses within the pupils narrowing whenever they ran into another Food Soul.

Reylen finally reached the Sweet Leaf employee dining room, where Long Bao was finishing up mopping a mess of tea on the floorings. Tangyuan was helping him wipe down a few tables that had tea residue, while Pastel de Nata and Napoleon Cake looked up from their desserts tray.

“Hey guys, we’ve got a new Food Soul! Her name is Gingerbread,” Reylen announced.

“ _Bonjour!_ I’m Napoleon Cake! It’s nice to have you here! And this here is my very quiet friend, Pastel de Nata.” Napoleon Cake said, gently tilting his head towards the smaller girl. Pastel de Nata gave a small wave, face still plastered with a frown.

“Nice to meet you, Gingerbread! Iiiii’m Tangyuan!” Tangyuan introduced herself as she quickly made her way in front of the other woman. She eagerly stuck her hand out for Gingerbread to shake.

Gingerbread, on the other hand, took Tangyuan’s hand and gave it one stiff shake, discarding the girl’s hand as if it were made of something poisonous. “Nice to meet y’too.”

Tangyuan had glanced down at her own stubby hands with a worried look.

“I’m Long Bao! Make yourself at home!” the pink haired boy waved as he went to wring the mop into a nearby bucket.

Gingerbread glanced about, glowering. Reylen turned towards the smaller girl. “Do you need a break? We can grab some lunch before we can continue our tour.”

“Nah. I can walk around here by myself. Pinky said I could _‘make myself at home,’_ an’ all.”

The petite Food Soul turned heel, briskly walking off but not before having her huge braid hit Reylen’s chest, as if adding insult to injury. She disappeared behind a corner, with the faded sounds of her bare feet and the screeching echoes of her sword scraping the flooring.

Everyone looked at one another in a surprised manner (asides from Pastel de Nata, who was nonchalantly nibbling on some cookies).

“D-Did she just leave?” Tangyuan said confusedly.

“Maybe she needs some time to adjust. It’s a big building after all,” Napoleon Cake reassured. “Despite us not having done the renovations just yet, she could very well get lost here! What with her size and all...”

“So I still gotta check up on her,” Reylen affirmed, also leaving the room. The other Food Souls gave knowing smiles. Master Attendant, always the worrier.

“She’s kinda like you, _partennaire_!” Napoleon Cake cracked, shoving Pastel de Nata’s arm.

“Don’t compare me to her. She’s a completely different kind of aloof,” he replied. There was something off about her own aura, something that was threatening even to him.

“And what, is yours a quality brand from the grocery store? That’s silly to think about!” Long Bao said, finally making his way to sit back down in one of the dining chairs.

“No, I think Pastel de Nata means that she’s...uhh... _wanting_ to block us out? Does that make sense?” Tangyuan pondered.

“Well I think she’s being a stinker like Pastel de Nata. He blocks everyone out too,” Napoleon Cake laughed as he grabbed for an egg tart on one of the dessert trays.

Pastel de Nata swiped the egg tart from the other brunet’s hands, prompting a whine from Napoleon Cake. “Or maybe just let her open up on her own.”

“I mean, if she _wants_ to, that is…” Napoleon Cake’s voiced trailed off, his hand tugging at Pastel de Nata’s sleeve to surrender the egg tart. Pastel de Nata had bluntly stuck his tongue out to the other brunet.

Another pause, and then Long Bao looked like he got electrocuted, surprising a drifting-off Tangyuan. “Hey! She called me _pinky,_ didn’t she?!”

 

\--

Gingerbread had found a nice lofty spot on one of the windowsills in the upper floors and had pulled her knees up to her chest, her sword and shield leaning nearby on the opposite wall. She surveyed the world that was outside the glass, seeing the road down below. She was realizing that she had been summoned in a heavily populated town and she sulked to herself.

“Stupid.”

“What is?”

She turned, seeing another Food Soul that floated a few feet away from the window. Her gentle blue light and the feathers that floated around her daunted Gingerbread a little. Yet, there was also an unspoken respect between the two, knowing that they were both very capable and impressive Food Soul warriors. Gingerbread could tell that this certain Food Soul was more than just her pretty looks.

Yet Gingerbread looked away, back towards the windows. “Nothing you gotta get your frilly panties in a twist over.”

Foie Gras winced at such an obscene comment and had went to move beside the other, trying to get a detailed look of the other girl. “May I ask who you are?”

“Gingerbread. You the queen of this here castle?” she bluntly asked.

The elegant woman flinched, trying to remain professionally calm as she could. “No, I am not. I am Foie Gras. I had been called her by Fate by our wonderful Master Attendant.”

At this, the smaller girl scoffed.

“He’s _that_ powerful, huh? How’s he treating you, by the way? The fact that you’re gawking about on your own must mean he’s got a real hankering to keep you on a loose leash,” she spat out bitterly.

Foie Gras tilted her head in slight concern. “...He values our freedom. I have not met such a young man who was truly concerned about everyone’s wellbeing before.”

“Pfft. He’s just a kid. One little inch and he’ll get rid of you in an instant,” Gingerbread said, hopping on top of the windowsill and casually walking on its thin surface.

“Do you not trust our Master Attendant?” Foie Gras asked politely.

Gingerbread had turned towards the other Food Soul, giving a cold look.

“Gingerbread! Are you up here?” Reylen asked from the foot of the stairs. Foie Gras had turned towards the direction of his voice while the young girl in the meantime, leapt off the windowsill and gave Foie Gras a sinister smirk.

“He’ll get rid of me. He doesn’t need to go through the trouble,” she said, turning to walk off.

The slate haired man had joined up with Foie Gras, worry over his face. “D-Did you see a small girl? Has tiny gingerbread cookies floating around her? As tall as my abdomen?”

“Yes...she seems very adamant on wanting you to lose her.”

Reylen’s face fell. They’re already having a hard case with her? “Could I ask you a favour? Let’s find her and I want you to watch over her until she’s accustomed to her surroundings.”

Foie Gras nodded and together, she led Reylen down the hallway to another flight of stairs that led to the backyard. Gingerbread was now doing a balancing act on top of the brick walls that surrounded the backyard space. Foie Gras flew over, following the other woman as she lazily hopped down to sit over the wall.

“Still ain’t gonna give up, **_Master Attendant_** _?_ ” The way that Gingerbread spoke his title reminded Reylen of a child mocking their parent over the threat of being grounded. She was clearly questioning his authority.

“Do you want to be left alone for today? Cause I just wanted you to get to know the place,” Reylen said, a bit of pleading in his voice.

“You finally caught on. I can manage myself just fine without your help.”

The man motioned towards Foie Gras. “But if anything does come up, Foie Gras here can assist you--”

Gingerbread shot Reylen a dirty look, her voice firm. “I don’t need assisting.” She then got up and jumped over the wall, into the outside sidewalk.

Both Reylen and Foie Gras gave each other worried looks. So it was going to be like this for their new comrade…

 

\--

“ _Non!_ I was supposed to take the final blow…,” Napoleon Cake whined.

Gingerbread flung her sword off of Fallen Angel residue that had been caked on the blade, smirking to herself.

Reylen had brought Gingerbread in for some Fallen Angel hunting rounds and had quickly found out that she liked attacking by herself, often rushing into the front and taking as many hits as possible and seldom letting his other Food Souls attack.

Napoleon Cake took a seat on a rock, huffing to himself while Pastel de Nata placed a hand over his curly locks.

“...Stop complaining. You always get the first shot,” Pastel de Nata murmured.

Napoleon Cake turned his head away, huffing. “And what a way to cheer me up, _méchant._ ”

Tangyuan had healed up Foie Gras, who was also a little bit shaken up by Gingerbread’s brashness through battle. “She’s not letting Tangyuan heal her.”

“She’s not even letting Master Attendant heal her,” Foie Gras also mentioned.

“Does she...like pain or…?”

Foie Gras shook her head, still unsure of what else to think of the situation.

Meanwhile, Reylen had went to try to get a conversation in with the smaller woman. “Hey, you did good out there.”

She replied by brushing past Reylen and towards the roads home. “We done here? Cause you guys can head on back and I can handle these pathetic things by myself.”

Before she could make her way down the road, Reylen had stepped in front of her, fixating his disdain towards her, his voiced laced with ice. “We’re doing this together. We go in battle together and we go home together.”

“Is that an _order_ then, **_Master Attendant?_ ** ” Her tone was just as icy.

“...”

She stepped away from Reylen, walking briskly away from the group. The rest of Reylen’s Food Souls joined up with him, all a little bit torn over their new member’s behavior.

“...So maybe she’s a bit of a hard case to deal with. Maybe we should leave her alone?” Napoleon Cake asked.

“Usually works for me,” Pastel de Nata muttered.

“Yeah, but that’s _you,”_ Napoleon Cake laughed to himself.

Tangyuan hugged Reylen’s wrist, giving a worried look. “Is she ever gonna try to be friends with us?”

Foie Gras had floated to Reylen’s free side, her tone severely standoffish. “If Fate wishes for it, she may as well just be a distant acquaintance.”

“That’s not how I work though.”

Everyone turned to Reylen, who now had a determined look in his eyes.

“Foie Gras. Pastel de Nata. You guys remember when I tried to talk to you at first, and I also let you be, right?”

Both Food Souls had looked away.

“It’s only because we’re under a contract…,” Pastel de Nata started.

“But I am staying by Master Attendant’s side beyond such an agreement,” Foie Gras finished. Pastel de Nata had given Foie Gras a look of understanding and nodded towards Reylen. Seeing that both of them had gotten to such a level of trust with Reylen had instantly given the young male a warm feeling in his chest.

“...So I want to do the same with Gingerbread. She may be rough to accept us at first, but I want her to join _in her own way_ , you get me?”

“Right!” Tangyuan agreed.

“You’re a very powerful man to gain our influence, so I’m sure you’ll be able to win her over!” Napoleon Cake also agreed.

They all made their way back down to Hilena, making sure that Gingerbread wasn’t a tiny pinprick in the distance.

  


\--

“Look, I want to get along.”

“Nice idea. Probably won’t work though.”

Reylen had cornered Gingerbread at her usual spot (the same windowsill that looked out towards a view of the town). She had begrudgingly agreed to talk after realizing that he was demanding a serious conversation with her.

But, Reylen was committed on wanting to come to equal terms with the detached Food Soul.

“Did I do something wrong specifically? I need to know so I can understand where you’re coming from.”

Gingerbread scoffed, pulling her legs up into her chest and looked towards the window. She was actively trying to not make eye contact with Reylen. “What, you _want_ me to kick you down to my level? And you call yourself a proud Master Attendant.”

Reylen took a shaky breath. “I’m not that proud. To you, I’m another nobody. But I’m a nobody who wants to understand you. I know you probably have other motives for being here, but I’ll make your stay comfortable if it’ll help. Anything at all.”

Gingerbread was making more scoffs under her breath. Other motives? This guy really was intrusive! “....You’re a stubborn one. I’ve seen stubborn people, but you’re right up there. Were you like this when you were still holding your mommy’s hand?”

“Well yeah, all I had was my mother,” he answered simply.

“Is that why you suck at keeping friends?”

Another shaky breath from the Master Attendant as he tried to keep his voice steady. “If you’re talking about the other Food Souls, I would ask that you don’t offend them like that.”

She got off from the windowsill, now stepping forward to glare upwards at Reylen. Her short stature couldn’t contain the internal anger that bubbled from her. “Why the _hell_ do you wanna be friends with me so badly? Can’t you stop being so selfish?”

Reylen felt himself internally flinch, eyes darting away. Selfish? Is that how she saw him? He didn’t usually deem himself selfish, but he didn’t know how her thoughts worked. There were many questions in his head, all that he could barely pick out to speak with his words. Some of those questions he wondered whether she would just counter against it.

He had to keep trying. He stood his ground.

“No, let me ask you a question. Do _you_ want friends?”

There was a heavy silence between them. Gingerbread kept her eyes locked with Reylen’s dark ones, her golden crosses glittering.

Reylen took another breath. “I summoned you because there’s this invisible connection between us that I believe exists. You’re under this contract that I can cut off at any time, but I want to try to get to know you first. Maybe you’ll hate me throughout this contract the whole time, and I wouldn’t hold it against you. Maybe at some point you’ll hate me so much that I’ll be _forced_ to cut off our contract together. But I want us to work together. My other Food Souls are also very interested in working alongside you. I know you’re a strong fighter and a strong person altogether and they can see that too. I want this to work. _We_ want this to work, but we want to know if you’re willing to as well.”

He looked down, his shoulders slumping from the fatigue of this conversation, his voice tired. “So...please. Tell me what you want. I just want to know.”

Gingerbread’s eyes narrowed, then she looked away, balling her hands into tight fists.

“...You familiar with fairytales at all, Master Attendant? Did your mother tell you any at all?”

Reylen looked up slowly. “I’m quite aware of them, yeah.”

“Siddown.”

Hesitantly, Reylen took a seat on the windowsill. She took the other end, pulling her legs in and tried to keep eye contact with Reylen.

“So I got one for ya to consider. There was once a young girl who had a Food Soul and who lived in a nice big town, kinda like this one. This Food Soul was actually under the contract that the girl’s father made. The young girl had a nice life, having been protected by the Food Soul the majority of her life. All the townspeople loved them.”

Reylen adjusted himself so he was sitting more in front of Gingerbread, making sure she knew that his utmost attention was there. She continued.

“...Then the father was struck with a terrible disease that made him into a terrible monster. The young girl had told the Food Soul that she can take care of her father and that the Food Soul should go out and be at peace. The young girl then sent the Food Soul far, far away, where the Food Soul could try to find friends like her. But the Food Soul realized something was amiss and went back home.”

Reylen didn’t like where this was going. It was anything but a sweet fairytale, where imaginary beings like unicorns or fairies coexisted with humans. Usually fairytales had a happy ever after, but he was quickly assuming this wouldn’t be the case.

Seeing his expression furthering to sadness made Gingerbread smile in a bittersweet way towards the window, her voice hollow.

“...She found her previous master, dead on the floor of their once cozy home, not from his monstrous disease, but because of the young girl. The young girl then apologized to the Food Soul, saying how much she wished the Food Soul can find peace in the outside world. This was the young girl’s dying wish as she too, joined her father in death through the magic of a bottle filled with Death’s liquor.”

Reylen swallowed, his gaze steady. Gingerbread looked away.

“The Food Soul was now hated by everyone in the town. The townspeople who used to protect the Food Soul and the young girl without hesitation, now turned the Food Soul away, calling her a curse amongst them. She was told to leave the small town and the Food Soul became a wanderer, wondering what to do for herself. She had joined a guild back in the day and befriended a few more Food Souls, but to this day, she’s trying to find people she can trust lifelong.”

She sat up, shrugging. “The end, I guess. I hate storytelling, by the way.”

Reylen immediately spoke up, his voice hoarse. “...Was that Food Soul y--”

“It doesn’t matter, does it? But you understand where I’m coming from now? Where I came from made me to who I am now. And you’re not gonna become my friend so easily, so I suggest you quit while you’re ahead. I’m _not_ worth it.”

Reylen had got off from the windowsill, now decided.

“...Then I understand. I’ll just respectfully give you your space, despite us being under a contract.”

She looked up at the taller male, sneering. “You humans and your contracts. What _I’m_ surprised about is how lenient you’re taking this and not ordering me around like the rest of them.”

Reylen couldn’t stop the natural smile that cracked on his lips. “...I should mention I’m not like most people, as sad as I wanna admit. As you may have noticed, I try to make sure a bond is made between myself and my Food Souls. I don’t want any mishaps happening between us cause I want us both to get to where we want to be.”

He was now looking forward towards Gingerbread, his dark eyes gleaming as beautiful as his smile. “And with you...I want you to know that everyone here including myself, we’ll welcome you no matter what or where you came from. Even if you’re called a curse, you’re not a curse to me...The one command I’d actually make to you is to never call yourself that.”

At that, Gingerbread’s eyes widened slightly.

He finally started to make his way back towards the stairs. “But I’ll respect your decision. IF you need space, I’ll gladly grant that. I’ll even mention it to the other Food Souls.”

Reylen turned when he heard Gingerbread let a bellowing laugh. “Shit!! You’re so pathetically _stubborn!!_ Know what, I’ll reconsider all this. Hey, Master Attendant!”

As he turned back, she had gotten off from the windowsill, walking forward and now extending her hand out.

“Let’s just...start over from scratch. I was being rude. Let’s...I dunno. Do our best together from now on, or some shit.”

The male gave a laugh, taking her hand and they both gave a firm shake. A real handshake.

“Yeah. Together.”

As they let go of their hands, Gingerbread took Reylen’s side, humming under her breath. Hesitantly, he had brought his hand on top of her locks. As if by habit, the smaller girl went up on her tiptoes while Reylen gave a small chuckle.

“...Don’t say it,” she warned.

“No no, wasn’t gonna mention it. But it must help your speed to be this tall, huh?”

Gingerbread gave a smirk back as Reylen pulled his hand away. “Taller people just don’t realize they can get their kneecaps busted in by someone as _small and petite_ as me.”

In the backyard, Napoleon Cake sneezed a bit harshly. Pastel de Nata snorted.

“But anyways, you call me short, you’ll get tripped up. Got it, Master Attendant?” Gingerbread commanded. It still had a lot of bite, but how she addressed Reylen was beginning to lessen in barbs.

“Haha, got it. Hey, you mentioned that you befriended other Food Souls? Are they here?”

Gingerbread shook her head. “You’d _know_ when they’re here. They stick out like sore thumbs. They’re like bratty kids with how they act. But that’s only if they _wanna_ show up. I’m content that it’s just us right now.”

She gave a toothy smile up at Reylen, one that gave that same warmth that his other Food Souls gave whenever he knew that trust had been established. He had been right about the whole ‘invisible connection’ thing he had talked about.

And he believed that Gingerbread and himself can make that connection much stronger.

 

\--

_Small Fry_

“Hey, Small Fry! Queenie!”

Foie Gras looked up from her novel and gently shook Tangyuan awake. Tangyuan shook her head from her sleepiness and looked up to see Gingerbread, arms crossed.

“W-Whuh?”

“Is something wrong, Miss Gingerbread?”

Gingerbread went to stand in front of the other two Food Souls, extending her hand out and mustering up her best pout. She looked conflicted to perform such an action, but it also looked like she was definitely wanting to try.

“...Friends?”

Tangyuan’s face lit up as she took Gingerbread’s hand in her tiny ones, shaking and laughing. It surprised the smaller girl to hear Gingerbread laugh back (and in a genuine manner too!). Foie Gras laughed between her palms. They even had nicknames! Strange ones, but it meant that Gingerbread was now trying to address them somehow. She was looking forward to their flourishing bond with their new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its just canon that its hard to obtain and gain trust with a UR, ok.
> 
> Aside from Omurice's Fondness stories, Gingerbread's was the one that hit me pretty hard. It sucks that I only have a few more chaps for this first part of this series cause she's a complex character to write and I really wanna write her more hehe. 
> 
> Anyways, speaking of 'when will anyone new come home', I, uh, got Champagne. Third solo. I had a pretty bad day beforehand too, so maybe foodfan decided to be nice to me for once (But only once, mind you). For the UR quests thing, I'll be aiming for Bamboo Rice cause that boy!!! Is!!! A Good!!!
> 
> We've got two more chaps until I wrap this first portion up! Again, thank you so much for staying and supporting me throughout this lovely project <3 Please look forward to it!


	29. It's All For Her (Omurice)

_“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.” - Martina Navratilova_

 

Reylen didn’t understand the concept of celebrities. He came from a small village and didn’t grow up with anyone to idolize, nor did he deem it as important to. He never got into the appeal of people who used their talents for entertaining the masses, but respected that there were many who were ignited by their lifelong passions (like himself and cooking). There were just a few that were talented enough for stardom, and Reylen had left it at that.

Another concept he didn’t understand (and really didn’t care for), were the fans of said popular folks. He only knew a broad perspective of how fans were and acted like: dedicated. In a weird way, Reylen compared fans to celebrities to his own Food Souls, as sometimes they too displayed the same qualities of loyalty.

When one Food Soul had been summoned, Reylen was to learn yet another form of dedication, and one that pushed to a _very_ specific extreme.

 

\--

“It’s nice to meet you...Omurice, was it?”

The glasses clad strawberry blond who Reylen had just summoned, jumped forward and gave a giddy grin. He wore casual clothing, had a backpack slung on his back and packed with rolled posters, and a robe that sported a language that Reylen couldn’t recognize. The one notable feature on the boy was his one undershirt, plushie and the many buttons that adorned his clothing...they all displayed a green haired young girl with a yellow, pink and lime green colour scheme. She looked like a pop star. Judging from the many images of her on his clothes, Reylen assumed safely that Omurice was a big fan of her.

(He just wasn’t aware _how_ big of a fan at that moment).

Omurice had stepped forward and presented Reylen with a clipboard. There were a few signatures that had been on the clipboard’s paper, and Reylen was a bit unsure about its contents.

“Yes yes! And as I have mentioned, I am the appointed leader of Jello’s Fan Club! Would you care to join, Master Attendant? You can have added benefits of seeing our precious star Jello at front stage! Plus, there’s also the bonus of getting your stuff exclusively signed by her beautiful hands! All you gotta do is sign h--”

Reylen had stepped forward to gently move the clipboard away. He mustered up his best, professional smile as he placed a hand on Omurice’s shoulder.

“We...have just met. I do not know this Jello, but I’m glad you’re very passionate about her.”

Omurice beamed, slinging off his backpack and placing the clipboard into it as Reylen stepped away. “Of course! I gotta be, since I _am_ the Jello Fan Club’s dedicated leader and all! If you have any questions about Jello, anything at _all_ about my precious star, I’ll be glad to help!!”

“D-Duly noted,” Reylen replied. This new Food Soul seemed like he’ll take a bit more energy to get used to, unfortunately.

“So! Master Attendant! Do show me around! I wish to spread the love of Jello to everyone here! **_Jello Power, awaaaaay!!!_ ** ” the boy said excitedly, slinging his backpack on himself again and made his speedy pursuit up the basement stairs.

Reylen sighed. Boy, were his other Food Souls in for a treat.

 

\--

Sukiyaki and Spicy Gluten were getting an empty room set up for an incoming new recruit. The Sweet Leaf had gone through another construction phase, now holding lots more dormitory and storage space, so now they didn’t have to squeeze Food Souls together in their rooms (save for some...coupled exceptions…).

The fiery orange-haired woman smoothed out the room’s bedsheets then propped her hands on her hips, nodding at a good job. “...So do you know who our newest darling is going to be like?”

“Heard he’s a kid,” Sukiyaki replied as a matter-of-factly, propping a chair into the room’s special study desk. “So you ought to behave.”

Spicy Gluten sneered. “Me? _Behave?_ ”

“Ah right, you’re a lost case there,” Sukiyaki laughed heartily.

A knock at the door made both Food Souls look up. Reylen and a shorter boy entered the room, with the boy looking around in awe as he dropped off his backpack beside the closet.

“Hey guys, this is Omurice,” Reylen introduced the other boy, to which Omurice gave a swift bow.

“Very nice to meet you both! I am Omurice, chief squad leader of the Jello Fan Club!”

Spicy Gluten gave a small _‘oya?’_ as she casually strode over and tapped Omurice’s cheek with her finger. “ _Very_ cute. You control a whole group all by yourself? How _remarkable_.”

Omurice nodded briskly, proud of his title. “It’s all for our dearest Jello!”

Sukiyaki had also walked over, taking out their fan from the folds of their robes and smiling their cunning smile and looking the boy over. “Omurice-kun, _hajimemashite._ ”

At this, the young boy perked up and followed suit in bowing, to which Sukiyaki bowed happily in return. “ _H-Hajimemashite_ , it’s nice to see that there’s others such as me! It’s _so_ nice to meet you, err…,” Omurice had looked the other individual quizzically.

“Just. Call me Sukiyaki,” the enigmatic individual replied with a smirk.

“You look like manager material! Would you be interested in joining the Jello Fan Club?!”

At this, Sukiyaki looked towards Reylen and Spicy Gluten with the same smirk, and then swiftly left the room. Spicy Gluten gave a giggle when Reylen went ‘huh?’ Did Sukiyaki sense something wrong with this new Food Soul?

Omurice meanwhile, blinked and then shrugged. “Perhaps they need more time to decide! It’s quite alri-- ** _WOOOOOOOAAA!!!!_** _We’ll mark this spot for our Number One, Jello!!!_ ”

The boy raced over to the empty desk, and from the folds of his loose robe he produced two pairs of yellow and green glowsticks, two in each hand. He started waving his glowsticks together, still shouting over the desk, as if casting some weird magical ritual over it.

Reylen and Spicy Gluten had given each other embarrassed looks, as if mind reading the same thought: _so this is how he is?_

“Master Attendant, I found a few more blankets for this room, should I put in in...here…?” Orange Juice had arrived into the small common room with some folded blankets in her arms, but as soon as her eyes landed on the back of Omurice, her voice trailed off.

“Hey Orange Juice, uh, thanks for that,” Reylen replied sheepishly as he directed her to place said blanket pile on the foot of Omurice’s bed. “So we’ve got a new Food Soul. His name is Omurice.” He was used to repeating the same greeting for a newcomer but suddenly today, Reylen was getting a little tired of introducing Omurice to everyone.

“I...see.” Her voice had trailed far away more than usual as the boy turned to look back to the group.

“ _Uwoooah!_ Another one! It’s nice to meet you...er?”

“Orange Juice.” Her tone was dull, as was her gaze.

“Yes yes! Very nice to see you! Would you like to join the exclusive Fan Club dedicated to the one and only Jello?! You’ll be promised amazing concert benefits and all the ritzy stuff that only a Jello Fan Club member can access!”

Orange Juice’s expression had quickly gone from indifferent to sour. She shoved the blanket pile onto the bed, stomping off, while Reylen and Spicy Gluten both raised their eyebrows.

Meanwhile, Omurice didn’t seem fazed at all by Orange Juice’s sudden departure. “Well! She’ll come around, I bet! Nobody can resist Jello Power!”

Reylen sighed and motioned to the chuckling Spicy Gluten to leave Omurice for a bit. He could squeeze the house tour for Omurice later. Again, he now wasn’t too motivated to be around this kid for today.

Hopefully he would calm down in the morning...

 

\--

“Ah! Good morning, Orange Juice! Have you seen our precious star Jello anywhere?!”

“...No. Hmph.” She turned heel once again from the other boy, her mood already spoilt for the day as soon as Omurice had approached.

Omurice shrugged to himself as he made his way towards the kitchen. Reylen had given him a shift at the restaurant and despite having to get up early this morning (the night before, he had been busy assembling his makeshift Jello photo shrine along with slapping on some posters on his bare walls), he was eager to meet the rest of the staff.

(Particularly, in order to spread the goodness that was Jello).

He slammed the swinging kitchen doors open, making his way in. Hawthorne Ball and Sandwich both looked up from their vegetable cutting, quite surprised by the newcomer’s entrance. Omurice stood in front of the two, putting his hands on his hips and grinning proudly.

“Hello everyone! It is I, Omurice! The leader of the amazing Jello Fan Club! It’s good to make all of your acquaintances, and I hope you all consider joining our fan club!”

A silence fell among them. The other pair of Food Souls gave each other astonished looks.

“Jell...o?” Hawthorne Ball said slowly.

“Ohhh no. You’re here first?!” Sandwich complained.

“What?! What do you mean by ‘I’m here first’?! Unless you mean me being the first in Jello’s Fan Club, then yes of c--”

The kitchen doors swung open again and everyone looked up. Pudding had entered with an irritated look (which somehow furthered once his eyes laid on Omurice) while Reylen was behind him, still rubbing his eyes from sleep.

As soon as Pudding laid eyes on Omurice, he had fixed his glasses stiffly, propping one hand on his hip.

“...You,” Pudding’s voice was a low and ominous volume.

Omurice instantly turned, also glaring. He fished from within his robes and pointed one glowstick towards the other blond boy. “ _You!!_ ”

They both lunged at each other but before they could, Reylen had stepped in between them, taking both of the boys  by the back of their collars. Both were surprised by Reylen’s reflexes as they struggled under his hold.

“I _just_ woke up. Please don’t start,” Reylen said under his breath.

Omurice struggled. “I can’t believe **_he’s_ ** here! Master Attendant, why didn’t you warn me first?!”

Pudding adjusted his sunglasses, being placed back onto his feet. “The same goes for me, Master Attendant. If I knew that such a **_disturbance_ ** would grace our restaurant, I would have made the proper preparations.”

Hawthorne Ball meanwhile, leaned towards Sandwich, whispering, “So, uh, do they know each other?”

“Yeah. You know that Pudding is Jello’s appointed ‘manager’, right? And now, with this guy saying that he’s Jello’s number one, I mean...that’s already cause for concern,” Sandwich shrugged.

“Ohhh. So they’re like, what, rivals or something?” Hawthorne Ball asked curiously.

“To a painful degree,” Sandwich answered as he cupped his face into his hands. They watched as Reylen told Pudding to go outside to get the front dining room ready while Omurice was told to make some braised pork. They both could hear Omurice huffing as he moved to the counter and sliced up the firm pork belly in a hasty fashion.

“ _Stupid...jerk...always near my Jello…”_

Hawthorne Ball went up to Reylen’s side, tugging his sleeve. “Are you sure it’ll be okay for them both to be working together? Apparently they have some pretty bad history together.”

“We’ll just make sure they’re separate. I don’t want any fights, especially when we’ve got customers to serve,” Reylen sighed to himself, walking over to grab his apron. “Can’t take any more of these small quarrels, you guys…”

“I’ll watch over those two for you, don’t you worry Master Attendant!” Sandwich proclaimed, jabbing a thumb on his chest. Reylen smiled at that.

Well hopefully there wouldn’t be _too_ much trouble.

 

\--

A few days had passed since Omurice became a kitchen helper at the Sweet Leaf. Hawthorne Ball and Sandwich had been great teachers towards him and Omurice had found out that he was a ‘teasing victim’ to the devious Ume Ochazuke-sempai. By Reylen’s order, Omurice had safely avoided the relentless presence of Pudding. Today, he was now being taught how to be a server.

Despite knowing their history, Reylen couldn’t find anyone that could help teach Omurice. Ume Ochazuke, the usual teacher for servers, was off on a Delivery run with Brownie today. So, unfortunately, he had to ask for Pudding’s assistance.

“You realize that he won’t listen to me, right?” Pudding muttered before he entered the dining room.

“I know, which is why you’ll just shadow him. If he does something wrong, just swoop in when he’s not looking and correct it, ok?” Reylen counseled. “I’m counting on you. If you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Pudding could only cross his arms in disdain.

The day wore on as Omurice and Pudding served up many plates of cucumber egg stir fry, getting accustomed to being friendly towards Reylen’s customers. It was going smoothly right up until the cusp of dinnertime and closing time was at hand…

...and up until a customer sporting a Jello t-shirt had entered the restaurant.

As soon as Omurice had locked on to the larger male (who had asked for two helpings of cucumber stir fry, the nerve), he was giddily running over with a glass of water. Pudding, watching from the counter, couldn’t believe that Omurice didn’t spill the whole glass over the customer.

“ _YOU!! YOU KNOW_ **_HER!_ ** _THE GOODNESS THAT IS JELLO, RIGHT?!”_

Pudding expected the other male to look at Omurice with some level of abhorrence, and said expectation turned to disgust as the other male went to talk animatedly towards Omurice. A few customers that were around the pair were looking a little uncomfortable due to the pair’s volume level of their conversation. Pudding had been attuned to listening to customer’s gossip, and sure enough, his ears was picking up the buzz of ridicule.

 _“Will they_ **_ever_ ** _shut up?”_

_“I just wanted to eat my food in peace…”_

_“Stupid otaku…”_

By reflex, Pudding stepped away from the counter. Despite Reylen advising Pudding to _‘swoop in and correct the problem without Omurice knowing it,’_ this was escalating to a painful degree.

He went to stand beside Omurice, who was still gushing alongside the customer. “You’re causing a disturbance,” he muttered towards the strawberry blond.

Omurice stopped mid-sentence, slowly turning to glare towards Pudding. “...What do _you_ want? I’m only discussing important matters concerning Jello with a fellow fan!”

Pudding went to push the frame of his glasses up with a dead-set glare. “But you realize you’re disturbing everyone else in the room.”

“Well maybe I’m trying to hone my Jello powers around this area so I can help others be interested in the goodness that is Jello! It’ll help her arrive as soon as possible!” Omurice punctuated his last word with a slam of his hand on the table, causing the larger male customer to jump in surprise.

“You don’t even realize how much embarrassment you’re causing us and this establishment right now!” Pudding’s voice was beginning to rise, a terrible sign of him starting to lose control.

Omurice stepped forward, his headband-clad forehead pressing into Pudding’s, his red frames scraping Pudding’s shades. He was beginning to shout as well. “What _I’m_ doing is spreading Jello Power and _you_ are restricting me from reaching my full potential!”

Pudding scoffed, his own forehead resisting against Omurice’s, his tone now lowering to a dangerous pitch. “It’s not working. You’re causing a racket. _Guys who don't abide by the rules need to be disciplined._ ”

“Then, by all means, **_discipline me_ **. You’ll never win, for I have Jello Power,” Omurice growled out.

Pudding’s dark eyes narrowed from behind his glasses. “You’re just a diehard that guys like me can get rid of in an **_instant_ **.”

“Then try it!” Omurice had shoved Pudding into the empty table that was behind the other blond. Pudding went to whip out his special green swatch of clothing that had been tucked into the back of his shirt, using it to swat Omurice away with. Omurice went to take out his glowsticks, now slashing towards Pudding and they both began to duke it out. All the customers began to flee out of the Sweet Leaf, for fear of becoming involved with the fight (including the otaku that Omurice had been talking to excitedly just moments ago).

“Guys! **_Guys!!_ ** ” Orange Juice had ran from out of the kitchen, Reylen and Spicy Gluten following suit. Orange Juice had went to pull Omurice away by the arm while Reylen tugged Pudding away by his torn sleeve.

“What happened here?!” Reylen demanded towards the two boys.

Pudding had pointed at Omurice, huffing as he adjusted his shades that were askew over his face. “This _absolute dolt_ had thought to do his stupid recruiting stunts with a customer and as I tried to tell him to stop causing a disturbance, he became erratic.”

“Says you! You don’t know how hard it is for me, a fellow Jello fan, to not find anyone that’s like me! I was taking advantage of the prospects of friendship!” Omurice had also fixed his glasses and robes, jabbing an accusing finger at Pudding.

“Had it not been for your damned ramblings about my client, then this would have been prevented!” Pudding scolded.

“Your _client_ is my destiny!” Omurice shouted back.

“And you’re delusional!”

“Hell no, you are!!”

“So it’s about Jello again…?” Spicy Gluten pondered beside Reylen, crossing her arms. Reylen was rubbing the bridge of his nose, already exhausted by all this. At least there hadn’t been too much thrown about (asides from one plate of wasted stir fry).

Both Pudding and Omurice were shouting at each other, foreheads pressed hard against each other and words incomprehensible to the others. Suddenly Orange Juice harshly stomped her foot on the wooden flooring.

_“It’s always about her!”_

Both boys stopped, slowly turning to see the young woman fuming.

“You both are unbelievable! Always going on and on about a Food Soul that hasn’t even made her grand stupid entrance here yet! You both cannot focus on the now, can’t you?!”

“I was only trying to delega--” Pudding started.

“Shut up! We _all_ know that how you act is simply getting yourself ready for her too! You’re _both_ obsessed with her!” Orange Juice shrieked. Pudding’s eyes had went to look away, guilt taking a hold of his trembling shoulders.

Meanwhile, Omurice had stepped forward in front of the orange-haired girl, his voice wavering as he placed a hand on his chest. “Orange Juice, I’m sorry. I was only doing what I usually do, and that’s spread the goodness that is Jello. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.” He was trying to get her to lock eyes, but she was keeping her head down, her shoulders heaving alongside her stifled breathing to keep calm.

After a few moments, he was met with Orange Juice’s harsh gaze.

“...It’ll always be about her. You’re so selfish, Omurice. Selfish and _cruel._ ”

She swiftly turned heel, leaving the kitchen.

Reylen, sighing, turned to Spicy Gluten, asking for her to help clean up. He then faced the two boys, his own gaze turning serious.

“Stay away from the kitchen for a while. Both of you. I want you to understand that you’re both at fault here and that I want you both to stay away from here until I have a solution for you both.”

Without a word, both Food Souls had listened to their Master Attendant’s command, slinking up towards their dormitories. As soon as Reylen heard their footsteps grow distant, he sunk into a chair, leaning back with his arms slack on his sides and his tired gaze fixated on the ceiling rafters.. Spicy Gluten had given a low chuckle as she went to flip the restaurant sign to ‘Close’ and then swept up the stirfry mess on the floor.

“We do make your life quite fiery, don’t we?” she joked.

“I don’t _mind_ , but this is like, the one dumb level of fiery that I can’t handle right now. All this before I have to head out to Light Kingdom tonight…,” Reylen said, sinking further into his chair, massaging his temples with both hands. “And I gotta talk to Orange Juice before I leave too…”

Spicy Gluten finished sweeping, rearranging the chairs and tables and then sat beside Reylen, propping her elbow on the table. Despite her malicious nature, having the Food Soul nearby was helping Reylen to recollect his thoughts.

“Why does it need to be about this Jello girl…?” Reylen said, his shoulders slumping. “Like, I don’t even know her appeal? Why is she so important to them?”

“Mmm, well for one, Pudding is Jello’s appointed manager, while Omurice is the leader of her fanclub. They’re like a cat and dog. They’re naturally born to be against one another,” Spicy Gluten stated.

“Then there’s just, no way for me to get them to work together, at all?” Reylen lamented.

“Well, until she shows up, then yes.”

Reylen sighed in aggravation, getting back up on his feet and straightening the lapels of his jacket. “I’ll deal with Orange Juice first. I’ll have to talk to them later, cause I really can’t have them both bothering my thoughts when I’m out hunting.”

Spicy Gluten snickered as he left the room. “What a curse! To have both of them take hold of your very thoughts! Hopefully your Fallen Angel date goes just a smoothly…!”

 

\--

Reylen found Orange Juice curled up in the corner of one of the couches that lined the West dormitory hallway. The rays of the sun were filtering from the window behind her, making her hair glitter like faded sunshine. She unfortunately wasn’t as bright like the sun’s rays, looking worn out as she hid her head in the safety of her arms.

“Hey,” the slate haired male greeted, taking up the vacant spot on the couch.

“...I’m sorry for how I acted,” the woman mumbled.

Reylen sighed, moving closer and trying to look at Orange Juice’s face, still buried from her crossed arms. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” Reylen asked.

Orange Juice finally looked up, her eyes puffy from crying and her voice small. “...Can you make it so that Omurice stops talking about her so much?”

Ah her again, he thought. “You don’t seem to like this mysterious girl so much,” Reylen stated, trying to make light of the situation.

“I don’t. I may not show the same qualities as _that girl_ , maybe,” she pouted, hugging her legs into herself and leaning into the corner of the couch. “Maybe that’s why I’ll never be as successful as her…”

Reylen was assuming there were underlying feelings pertaining to Orange Juice’s conflict with the still absent Jello. Those were feelings that he knew he couldn’t simply ask for her to reveal so easily. Another time, he decided.

For now, he had to validate her existence with the short amount of time he had.

“You’re you. You’re not going to be her, but you excel at being yourself. It’s good to just be you, Orange Juice. I know you’re successful in your own way of living. I want you to believe that for yourself. That’s all I ask of you,” Reylen consoled.

Orange Juice sniffed. “But...are you going to help him stop with his…?” she faltered off.

“Unfortunately, I can’t stop something that he’s interested in. But it’s getting to the point where it’s emotionally damaging you and many others, so I’ll give him and Pudding a talking-to.”

Reylen’s worried gaze went towards the window, the setting sun now nestling behind Hilena’s mountainside. “Oh shoot, the time...”

He got up from the couch with Orange Juice looking up curiously at him. “Master Attendant, where are you heading off to?”

“Tonight, me and a few others are going on a special expedition that I agreed to try out. Might take a bit, since it’s apparently a problem that other Attendants have been having trouble on. I hope I don’t land in the same boat,” he said with an apprehensive tone.

“For now, I’ll let those two simmer down and I’ll take care of them when I get home. I’m late already to get out there.” He looked down at Orange Juice, still uneasy to just leave her. He had to make sure that the girl at hand wasn’t as distressed as before.

“Will...you be okay?”

Orange Juice slowly got up from the couch, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She looked back up towards the other male, smiling as bright as the rays behind her. “Yes! Thank you so much, Master Attendant. Please be careful with the chest hunting!”

Reylen smiled back in relief and made his way to the direction of his room. “Thanks! Gonna need it!”

He made a mental note to himself to discuss with Orange Juice as to why she was so bitter about Jello, but once again, he had to tackle each problem that came his way one at a time.

For now, it was off to Light Kingdom for a bit.

 

\--

A few days later, Reylen and his group of Food Souls had arrived at around dinnertime, all looking extremely drained for wear. Reylen had told his expedition group to rest up, while also informing Black Tea that he had _‘a few minor things to deal with’_ before he could discuss another game plan to take down their very stubborn obstacle.

Hawthorne Ball had reported to Reylen that Pudding had busied himself away from the kitchen by cleaning out certain Food Soul’s rooms (some well needed, some uninvited). Meanwhile, Omurice had kept to himself in his room, plastering any means of Jello merch all over his room and only coming down to eat late at night. Yellow Wine, having gotten home drunk the previous evening, had spooked himself silly after seeing the form of Omurice hunched over the stovetop, trying to recreate a salad in the image of Jello…by encasing the salad in literal jello. Jiuniang had a bit of trouble explaining to everyone why Yellow Wine was sleeping off his induced insomnia from that night.

Reylen had went to stand in front of Omurice’s bedroom door, closed shut. He could hear faint music emitting from the door that sounded very upbeat and happy. Reylen was assuming it was the girl that Omurice built his life around.

He rapped his knuckles against the door and he heard shuffling from behind the door.

“W-Who’s there?! I’m busy!”

“I’m home,” Reylen replied politely.

“ **_M-MASTER ATTE_ ** \--HOLD ON, BE RIGHT THERE!”

A few more shuffling and a sudden cut off of Jello’s singing, and Omurice hastily opened his bedroom door. He had blue headphones worn around his neck, his hair a scruffy mess, glasses missing, and he was wearing what looked to be a yellow hoodie-vest meant for sleepwear, adorned with a hoodie with bunny ears. He sported dark pants and yellow boots (with...a pair of pink and green wings on the backs? Very cute, Reylen noted). The Master Attendant also swore he had seen Omurice unceremoniously throw off a dark brown bunny plush into the direction of his bed before Omurice cracked the door open a little bit more.

“Apologies for my current state, Master Attendant! I was just getting u--”

Reylen covered his mouth, laughing softly. “Can I come in? Just wanna catch up with you.”

“Oh, but of course! Please don’t mind the mess!”

Reylen couldn’t believe how much merch that Omurice had of Jello, and the small room definitely screamed it. All three walls were covered with posters that were all Jello, some from promotional material and some from her live shows, alongside with fairy lights that shined yellow, pink and green.

The spare desk and a few wooden shelves held many figurines, plushies and photo frames, all of Jello. Another plastic storage unit held folded concert towels and different glowsticks of many shapes.

A huge Jello beanbag was in front of a low table that had a cute Jello keyboard plush buddy, a laptop and speakers (perhaps the source of the music that Reylen had heard before).

The curtains that covered the window were of a custom print image of Jello’s face. Omurice’s double-sized bed that was against one part of the room, had even pillowcases and a comforter that had Jello’s heart logo emblazoned all over the fabric.

In other words, Reylen was in the room of a **_really_ ** diehard fan.

“Please sit here, Master Attendant!” Omurice offered the beanbag chair, to which Reylen nodded and was quickly surprised over how fast he sunk into it. Omurice went to the foot of his bed, crossing his legs and mustering up a smile.

“So! What are we to discuss? Have you thought over your decision on wanting to be part of the fan club, Master Attendant?” It was as if Omurice was talking about a serious business deal, to which Reylen was definitely still against with.

Reylen, struggling to adjust to the soft seating, shaking his head. “N-No…but it does kind of involve you…”

Omurice tilted his head in confusion. “Then what is the problem then? Was my music too loud? I have been told by Dorayaki-san that my speakers are sensitive enough to be heard a few rooms down, so if it’s about volume control, I will most definitely lower the volume of Jello’s great singing voice, if you so des--”

Reylen, finally getting into a “comfortable” sitting position, had put his hand up to signal ‘stop.’ He also had a stern look on his face. Omurice immediately shut his mouth with his hands, giving a guilty look as he nodded for Reylen to speak.

“I don’t wanna step on any toes here, but...you and Pudding seem to have the same goal,” Reylen admitted.

The strawberry blond recoiled in disgust, pulling his hands away from his mouth and shoving his hands into the mattress from underneath him. “What?! His conniving ways of being near my precious Jello is gross! He really should stop busying himself around her!”

The taller male sighed. “Okay, so that’s what I’m getting at. You’re _both_ very dedicated to her.”

“Ehhh? Master Attendant, you’re not making any sense!” Omurice wailed. “He’s anything _but_ dedicated! He’s like a bad pest! An infestation of a bad thing near my Jello!”

Reylen planted his feet firmly, pushing himself back to his feet and went to sit beside Omurice on his bed and keeping his voice a fixed, relieving state. “Which is why I want you to at least step off from Pudding. I know he’s a personal threat to you, but you have to consider everyone else who works just as hard. Your agenda with Jello is great and all, but if it causes a serious accident, then you’d be responsible. I don’t want that to happen to you, and you’re the latest newbie too.”

His words probably took an instant effect, as Omurice gaped and then bowed his head solemnly. “I’m sorry for causing such trouble to you, Master Attendant! Has my recruitment efforts truly damaged such?”

Reylen shifted his seating position, nodding. “I mean...like, what if Jello were here right now and saw you? I know you’re all about her and making sure she’s got all the support she needs, but I don’t think she’d want a fan who drives other fans away, y’know?”

The smaller boy went to ponder this thought. “I...never thought of such a possibility before. Master Attendant! I must apologize for my actions!” Omurice went to bow his head profusely again, to which Reylen brought his hand out to stop Omurice’s headbanging. He gently ruffled the boy’s messy hair.

“Thanks but...Well, you know who to apologize to first,” Reylen said, giving Omurice a sincere smile.

Omurice, knowing exactly who Reylen was talking about, had his shoulders sink as he sighed in contempt. He gently pushed Reylen’s hand away, standing to grab his eyeglasses that were on his desk.

“...Fiiiiine. Where is he? Let’s get this over with.”

 

\--

Pudding had been invited by Sandwich to take up his Head Server position once more, and Pudding had been more than happy to oblige. He was still a little bit wary whether or not that otaku git would saunter in his presence, thus Pudding kept a close eye at all of the staff doors.

His paranoia was no match however, as he had jumped when Sukiyaki had appeared from behind him, tapping the blond’s shoulder with their folded fan.

“Pudding-chaaan, Master Attendant wants to see you,” Sukiyaki said. “And by the way, thank you for cleaning up my room! Now if you could just bring in somebody cute the next ti--”

“I am _not_ going to agree to such an arrangement,” Pudding replied curtly, turning back to cleaning off some glasses with a cloth.

Sukiyaki gave a snickering laugh. “ _Oya!_ I was actually trying to grab him for you!”

“Whatever are you talking ab--” Pudding started, turning again, and then flinched.

Reylen and Omurice had came in from the kitchen doors, both looking a little more determined than ever. Pudding, by instinct, adjusted his glasses and then folded his arms neatly across his chest. “...Master Attendant, what are you trying to prove here in bringing _him_ here?”

Before Omurice could react, Reylen had placed a stern hand on the strawberry blond’s shoulder, instantly capping the lid on the smaller boy’s retaliation effort. Reylen gave a steely look towards Pudding. “This is asking for a lot, but, could you ease off of Omurice whenever he acts the way he does?”

Pudding fixed his glasses once more, agitation slowly bubbling through his steady tone. “But Master Attendant. He’s only excusable now. Should Miss Jello actually _do_ arrive, what if he causes an even higher amount of distress among our customers and our staff?”

Reylen could hear Omurice muttering under his breath, “ _Pretty sure_ **_you’ll_ ** _be the distress-or here, asshole…_ ,” and he gently elbowed Omurice’s side. Again, he turned to Pudding.

“Then we’ll solve it once we get there.”

“What?” Pudding said incredulously.

Reylen slowly exhaled and continued. “Right now, the cause at hand is _both of you_ , so I really just want you two to get along. You don’t have to be friends. I’m not asking for that at all, but I just want things to go smoothly for you here. Both of you have the same goal--and that’s Jello. What I want to accomplish here today, and from now on, is simply a mutual understanding that you two won’t destroy each other and our restaurant before she arrives.”

Pudding, slowly registering his words, scrunched his eyes shut as if said words were a bad medicine to swallow, and then he stepped forward in front of Omurice. The other boy instinctively recoiled away from Pudding’s blunt stare.

“...I’m only settling up this truce because Master Attendant is informing us that we’re causing a widespread commotion around the building. It’s upsetting the balance of everyone’s schedules, and as one of Master Attendant’s _trusted_ administrators, this is deemed necessary,” Pudding demanded with a low voice.

Omurice gave a pout, finally finding his voice again. “Oh yeah? I’m only settling this cause I _know_ I’m definitely better to stop this. This is all for Jello’s sake!”

Pudding looked at Reylen, an expression of disgust written all over his face. Reylen could only shrug back, giving a small smile.

The blond turned to face Omurice again. “...Fine. Temporary truce.”

Both boys took up a handshake, albeit a forced one. Reylen swore he could hear bones crunching.

“You...can let go now,” Pudding growled.

Omurice scoffed. “You first, jerk.”

Well, they’ll get along hopefully. As they both roughly broke off their hold at the same time, huffing to themselves as they went to pick up separate orders, Reylen hoped that when the day came when Jello appeared, this argument wouldn’t flare up as badly as it did,

But that’s just wishful thinking. He sighed to himself. For now, peace between a diehard fan and the manager of the diehard fan’s target of his affections, was settled.

 

\--

_Out to Lunch_

Reylen still had a meeting to go to with Black Tea, scheduled up at his office. He sighed to himself, still disappointed at their latest performance. A goddamn chest of all things…

As he passed Ume Ochazuke, who was cutting up some cukes, she turned, motioning towards the other male. “Oh! Master Attendant, I forgot to mention,” Ume Ochazuke said, placing her knife down and going to wash her hands at the sink.

He turned. “Yeah? What’s up?”

“When Brownie and I were out, we were given a bunch of Embers for you to take! The Guild had told us we earned these Embers due to the amount of deliveries we did for a while. You said you were saving up for a few more summons, right?”

After she dried her hands off, Ume Ochazuke fished from the pockets of her robes a small velvet purple pouch that glowed a dull gold light.

“Maybe you can try to summon a nice, strong Food Soul to help you out on your latest worry?”

Reylen laughed, taking the small pouch. “How’d you know?”

“Oh...just figured you needed the extra help. Good luck on the summon, Master Attendant dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are all omurice to some extreme, dont deny it. you had a crush on seto kaiba when you were 9 years old. it was that or joey wheeler--
> 
> 6K!! What to heck! I really went off with the silly otaku rice boy. I had fun trying to implement weird fan quirks that I often see with itabag owners and con goers. It's not a callout since, er, I'm sort of like that too, eheh..
> 
> The last portion of this chap has a callback from Ch. 21's last portion, as Ume had mentioned that Reylen needed a "certain thing": its a summon. He needs a goddamn summon. Any guesses as to who? We've got the final chap to figure that out soon c:
> 
> So tomorrow, I'm gonna be receiving my free UR! It's not gonna be Bamboo Rice cause I received him as a surprise summon! So, it'll be Blobster instead! Gotta have that grump to go with my Duck Dad....
> 
> We're nearing the end for Part One of this series! Thanks for sticking with me, and hope that you enjoy it <3


	30. Chest Plunderer (Sanma Shioyaki)

_“Nothing is better than going home to family and eating good food and relaxing.” - Irina Shayk_

 

The view of earning a prize through hard work was a natural part of Reylen’s life and may as well be his motto for life. Cooking, in a sense, followed this concept closely. In order to create an amazing meal, you have to put in effort. You have to be able to dice up the ingredients needed, find the right medley of condiments to use and even implement a proper cooking method to create a stellar dish. Effort was what made gaining the reward much more satisfying. That’s just how it was.

So when the prize was harder to obtain, the effort to work for it doubles, or even triples. Reylen was learning as a Cooking Attendant that with persistence comes relief and his patience would be rewarded, treasures abound.

This concept was tested quite strenuously during one certain expedition…over a literal treasure chest.

 

\--

Tom Yum kicked into a sand pile in frustration, granules spewing out into the twilight painted plains.

“This is the third!! Freaking!! _Time!!_ Why does it refuse to open?!”

Reylen had an expedition group out in Light Kingdom and were stuck in a certain area...or rather, stuck in front of a barrier that was blocking their progress. In order for them to be eligible to venture out into more areas of Tierra, Reylen had to get through this certain obstacle first.

He had gone through a few Treasure Chests a while back during his ventures out in Gloriville, so being told that he was going to take on another chest in the far ends of Light Kingdom was sort of relieving. He knew what to do: get his Food Souls to open the chest by force. In a way, destroying chests seemed therapeutic even.

But he had heard horror stories from other Cooking Attendants about this certain bump on the road. Some became so frustrated that they had decided to give up on the chest for a few weeks time, while others got so close to victory only to fall short and then had to leave from impatience.

Reylen was quite apprehensive for his own group. He was still quite new to team building and unfortunately for today, he hadn’t thought about his current team out with him (Gingerbread, Black Tea, Tom Yum, Milk and Escargot). Reylen had only recently learned of his Food Soul’s attack types, and realized too late that his recent group was mainly specializing in defense. Black Tea was his one and only main firepower, and he had initially thought that she would be fine to take down this chest by herself.

Reylen had to admit, he was an impatient person, and this chest was getting to him, and even more so with his Food Souls.

“Let me at it again! I’ll take it down!” Gingerbread had commanded in front of Reylen, who was still trying to collect his thoughts. Tom Yum and Gingerbread were the most frustrated over the chest, having gone at it several times to no avail. Escargot had decided that the second chest destroying attempt was a good time to take a break and sleep under a tree. Milk had thought to stay near Escargot, realizing that her own healing efforts weren’t needed at the moment. Black Tea had been quiet about her own frustration, but she was making sure each and every single one of her bullets hit the chest each time they attempted. She was getting tired of missing shots.

Now here they were, camped out under a willow, just miles away from their target: a disgruntled treasure chest adorned with twisted golden horns and fangs. Reylen had run into many of the same chest before, but this particular one was stressing everyone out, what with its steel clad defense and its ghastly glare as it settled itself in the middle of the road.

The sun was beginning to go down on what was their third day out here. Sooner or later, Reylen’s own food supply would run out and they’d have to retreat back to the Sweet Leaf.

(Which...wasn’t sounding like a bad idea at the current moment.)

Tom Yum kicked another pile of sand once more while Gingerbread was swinging her sword aimlessly in a bitter attempt to train.

Escargot had to be moved from one tree to the one they were currently camped at and he snoozed off, completely blissful of the problem at hand.

Milk and Black Tea were huddled against each other near their small campfire, trying to adjust the wood piles. Milk was constantly dusting herself from soot, while Black Tea was lost in thought as she shoved another bit of wood into the hot ashes.

Meanwhile, Reylen had a bunch of papers from the Guild in front of him. He was trying to read the few reviews that previous Cooking Attendants had left to guide others like him that were stuck on this stupid chest. Unfortunately, many of the reviews seemed more like sorrowful regrets than anything (‘ _I want this to eeeend’ and ‘This chest is WACK, yo,’_ to name a few _)_. Only a scarce amount were suggesting more firepower from offense-type Food Souls, and Reylen was beating himself up internally for not planning out his team properly.

Was his current team too weak for this chest right now? Were they just not physically prepared for this obstacle right now? It infuriated Reylen.

But he had to think about their diminishing stamina right now.

“...Guys, let’s head on back tomorrow morning,” he said quietly. The others all gave him looks of relief, finally being freed of this unfortunate chore.

Save for Gingerbread and Tom Yum.

“Can’t we try it first thing in the morning?! I _know_ I can take it down this time!!” the braided girl countered desperately. Tom Yum also turned towards the older male, nodding eagerly for Reylen’s response.

Reylen shook his head disapprovingly towards the two Food Souls. He didn’t like letting them down, but they were getting too far ahead of themselves. “I just think we need to regroup right now. Our previous attempts have been showing the same results and I really don’t think we should attempt any more until we have a better approach.”

Gingerbread huffed, slamming her shield into the ground and angrily seated herself on top of a rock. Tom Yum scrunched up a pout and kicked his third sand pile with his bruised feet. Reylen had expected this from his most headstrong Food Souls but the rotten feeling of disappointing them still remained in his chest.

As Reylen gathered his review papers up and shoved them into his traveler’s bag, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He didn’t realize how stiff his shoulders had gotten. Turning, he saw Milk’s concerned face.

“Please go and sleep, Master Attendant, we got your cot ready.” Her glassy eyes showed a tinge of concern.

“Thanks. You guys try to sleep too.”

He went to retire into his tent, glancing back to see Milk also reassuring Black Tea quietly. Even Black Tea, usually so composed and proper, was a tired reflection of himself as she polished her flintlocks for the umpteenth time.

Rest had to come first before they could continue here.

 

\--

“Welcome back, Master Attendant!”

Evening had already settled when Reylen and his group finally reached the Sweet Leaf. Reylen gave a tired wave towards Hawthorne Ball while the rest of his Food Souls trudged upstairs to their dormitories with carelessly stuffed camping gear in hand. He’d have to repack with newly folded cots and stock up on supplies later tonight.

“Anything happen?” he asked

The pigtailed girl shook her head. “Nope! Well, maybe? Pudding’s been deep cleaning people’s rooms while Omurice pretty much stayed in his room blasting his Jello stuff. Yellow Wine got spooked so bad the other night after seeing Omurice come out of his room for a snack, haha…!!”

She began rambling about said story in minute detail, to which Reylen gave a small smile and patted Hawthorne Ball’s head gently, gaining a giggle from the Food Soul. At least Hawthorne Ball was giving him the small liftup he needed after that sad fiasco he called an expedition.

“Anyways! I’ll go make you guys some dinner!” She raced off into the kitchen, shouting at Sandwich for his assistance. It was nice to come home to their banter, he thought.

“Shall we hold our remedial meeting up at your offices later then?” Black Tea inquired, while squeezing Milk’s hand before letting go. Her partner went to check the state of the dining room, a habit that the both of them had made natural.

“Yeah sure. I still have a few minor things to deal with here, but we can do that,” he replied back with a nod.

“Then we’ll do that. Please do relax, Master Attendant,” the dark haired Food Soul noted, gently squeezing Reylen’s shoulder as she passed. Reylen had felt that she was more or less _ordering_ for him to relax.

He sighed to himself. He had to think of another way to get rid of that stupid chest, but his brain felt fried. Black Tea’s advice on taking a break was sounding more and more reasonable to take up. Reylen was thinking of doing lunch, as soon as he got his previous problem with Omurice and Pudding solved.

Later on, he would find Ume Ochazuke, leisurely chopping up vegetables, and he would find the perfect solution to his chest problem.

A little summoning would do the trick…!

 

\--

Tempura had raced through the hallways like bellowing thunder, Sukiyaki sauntering behind, laughing to themselves. His footsteps were heard throughout the building with the amount of power he used to take each step.

“Do slow down! I think that Master Attendant would like it if you didn’t have to rush to meet your new friend, Tempura-san!”

“Yeah, but he’s my _friend!_ I can’t wait to meet him!”

They both stomped down the steps into the small Summoning room where Reylen was introducing himself to a new Food Soul. Don up with a headband, his silver hair seemed to capture the light of the dimming flames that surrounded them. He wore a traditional yukata and baggy pants that stopped at his knees. His shins were wrapped and he wore sandals. On his left side was a katana, and it was highly likely that this Food Soul was quite proficient with it.

But the most notable feature of this young man were the trio of cats that were rubbing against the man’s legs. One cat, colored with black patches on its white fur, was nestled in his arms, squinting happily towards Reylen, who was gently scratching behind the cat’s ears.

“Tempura, what did I say about you not stomping your feet when you come down here,” Reylen said, turning towards the bigger male and giving an exasperated look.

“I did warn him,” Sukiyaki chimed in.

“Sorry! I’m just...so excited…! _Sanma!!_ ” the wild haired man said with a grin, stepping forward towards the new Food Soul.

“Tempura-san...it’s nice to meet you again.” Sanma Shioyaki greeted, dropping the cat gently from his arms. His voice was very quiet, like a leaf gently skimming the surface of a still lake.

“ ** _HAHAHA!_ ** No formalities, Sanma! It’s good to see you!” As if it sensed danger, the cat from Sanma’s grasp leapt away as the bigger male took the smaller male into a crushing hug. Sanma was making muffled complaints against Tempura’s chest, his army of cats meowing at their feet, while Sukiyaki applauded beside Reylen, who had caught the black and white cat.

“Well then! We shall bring Sanma-kun around for a quick tour as you’ve asked, dearest Master Attendant,” Sukiyaki said cheerfully

“Thanks, Sukiyaki. Take care of him, ok?” Reylen prompted, gently placing the cat down on the ground as it went to join its other feline friends.

“You bet we will!” Tempura laughed, finally putting Sanma down. “Come on, we gotta show you around! This is such a nice place to live!”

“I bet.” Sanma dusted himself, politely bowed towards Reylen and followed the other two males upstairs. The four cats trailed behind and after a little while, Reylen could hear faint squeals of excitement over the cats from Taiyaki and Orange Juice.

Well, another Food Soul, great. Reylen was trying to tell himself that perhaps Sanma might help him out later during a Fallen Angel hunt. He looked formidable, despite his quiet appearance.

But anyways, he had a meeting to go to. He could consider talking to Sanma later and get him properly introduce him to life at the Sweet Leaf, but he was sure his other Food Souls could show Sanma the ropes.

 

\--

Milk, Coffee and Black Tea were seated on the futons in Reylen’s office. Brownie was serving tea to the small group. All four had looked up expectantly when Reylen entered.

“How was the summoning?” Black Tea asked as she made some room for Reylen to sit on her side of the futon. Brownie immediately set a dainty teacup filled with herbal tea in front of the Master Attendant and Reylen gave a nod of thanks.

“It went well! We got a new guy who seems to be fast with his sword work,” the slate haired man said, trying to keep up a cheerful face as he sipped his tea. From the bottom of the table, he could feel the tip of Coffee’s pointed shoes tap against his own, and he looked up to give a small smile at his partner.

Black Tea cleared her throat, adjusting her crossed position with her legs and resuming her business airs. “Anyways, let’s begin our meeting. The previous team we had out there was what we’d call a hasty choice on Master Attendant’s part--”

Reylen’s shoulders sunk. “I’m sorry. I rushed out too soon to properly choose…”

“Master Attendant had been in a previous dispute with a few Food Souls here, thus he thought to choose a team he thought was necessary at the time,” Milk said gently, flattening her skirt folds.

“It was a petty dispute, but it still weighed on his mind that he wanted to solve it. He’ll know the next time,” Coffee reassured, another foot tap on top of Reylen’s and his signature charismatic smile to further solidify that fact. Reylen’s guilt lessened in his chest, feeling a little more relieved over Coffee’s encouragement boost.

Black Tea took a long sip from her teacup, placing it gently on it’s saucer. “...So we must focus on just firepower. Chests with such a strong defense calls for all out attacks and we need Food Souls that can just constantly attack the chest right until it falls.”

Brownie went to refill her cup, alongside with Milk’s. “If I may. You mentioned that we need offense-focused Food Souls, yes? We could ask for Foie Gras’s help. She’s one of our stronger Food Souls.”

“Foie Gras had volunteered to help with deliveries for today and tomorrow, unfortunately. At the moment, myself and even yourself, Brownie, we may be considered for this future group,” Black Tea implored, giving a hard look at Brownie. In retaliation, Brownie gave a swift nod of acknowledgement.

“But...I’m sorry, can I butt in?” Reylen said.

“Of course, Master Attendant. We need your input the greatest,” Milk replied quietly.

“We were out there for a total of three days, just going at that chest. We got tired very quickly. What I’m worried about is the lack of firepower we _do_ have. I’m afraid that maybe you guys need to train...a bit _more_...if that makes sense?”

“Are you saying that this chest may be too powerful for us to handle?” Black Tea asked. Under the surface, Reylen was hearing a firm touch of defiance.

“No! I mean yes! I mean...I…” Reylen’s voice faltered. He was much too frightened to say that his team may be too weak for this task right now.

“I mean, it can’t be too hard, doing a bit of training to keep up?” Coffee pondered.

“Yes, but that chest is still a hindrance...appearing towards other Cooking Attendants just to give others heartache?” Brownie hastened to add.

“But if we’re not strong enough to take it down, we’ll just keep ending up doing these little meetings and not really going anywhere,” Coffee said, his voice getting more stern.

“I _understand that_ , but with our current team right now, we have to make do with the firepower that we’ve got,” Black Tea objected, equally grim.

Reylen squirmed in his seat, now at a loss. The three were beginning to counter with tactics and thinking of other strategies but for Reylen, he was assuming they were also desperate to find an answer to their already looming problem.

Milk, not wanting to be a part of the sudden debate, had went to walk over to look at the windows that overlooked the back of the restaurant and frowned.

“Master Attendant. Who is the Food Soul out there?”

“Huh? You’re probably seeing Sanma. He’s the one I mentioned that’s fast with his sword.” Reylen got up, letting the three argue among themselves and joined Milk near the window. From the backyard, Sanma was practicing some sword techniques with his katana while Tempura, Sukiyaki and a very surprised and entranced Crepe were watching.

“...So you’re saying that Sanma is the one with the sword?” Milk asked.

“Yeah.”

“He’s quite quick.”

“He told me he gets the job done that way.”

“...He seems like a good candidate for that chest, don’t you think?” Milk confided.

“That che-- _Him?_ ”

“Yes, the sword work might do wonders with damage to that chest. But I’m only thinking to myself though.” Milk had a small, wary smile on her lips.

As if a light-bulb had appeared from above his head, Reylen gaped and gave a slow, understanding nod towards Milk. From the other side of the room, the arguing din had also been silenced, having also heard the pair’s conversation.

Black Tea had also nodded towards Reylen and Milk, now in complete understanding of their plan. “...We need to talk to him.”

 

\--

Crepe had pulled Sanma by the arm, one cat on top of her head. “Found him!” Brownie had followed from behind after having been told to summon him, and was also holding cats in his arms.

“Sanma, hey,” Reylen greeted him from the futon, having pulled away from Coffee’s hold. A bit earlier, Coffee was calming Reylen down after Reylen explained his worries towards the blond. Talking through it together helped Reylen steady his nerves once more.

Sanma nodded politely towards Coffee as Reylen went to stand in front of the silver haired male. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Did you want me to take care of the Fallen Angels that we discussed about?” the young man asked. He sounded way too business-like still, and Reylen wondered how Tempura made Sanma crack, friend-wise. For another time.

“Well, sort of. I’d like for you and Crepe to train together for today. I’m planning on bringing you guys out for that botched expedition I had a while back. Could you guys do that?”

The petite girl that went to stand near Sanma clapped her hands together, nodding vigorously. “ ** _Ooooohohoho!_ ** Most definitely, Master Attendant! You can be sure I’ll train to my utmost finest!” Crepe bellowed, snapping her fan open and cackling her signature cackle.

Sanma nodded solemnly while the cat in his arms meowed in response. “Of course, Master Attendant.”

Reylen gave a small smile then clasped Sanma’s shoulder. “...Try to loosen up too. We’re friends here.” He looked down at the cats that also clambered away from Sanma, making home on top of one of the futons and laughed to himself

“....all of you.”

“Mm.”

 _Meooow_.

At the least, they now had a good fighting chance.

 

\--

It was back to that damned chest again. This time, Reylen had brought in a better team: Black Tea, Brownie, Coffee, Crepe and newcomer Sanma. The other day, Crepe and Sanma had trained together nonstop in the backyard, while Reylen, Black Tea and Brownie had restocked their camping gear (with a few supplies in case they run into more stalling. They hoped it wasn’t the case). Before they left, Gingerbread and Tom Yum both gave Reylen their regards, hoping he’ll ‘raise the hell that they weren’t able to release before’.

As soon as morning came, they ventured out with fresh minds and renewed courage.

Like last time, Black Tea had ordered a full out assault on the chest, with Brownie and Coffee throwing rounds of bullets and coffee streams. Crepe stayed in the back, flailing her fans to create huge tornadoes to create more damage and laughing while doing so. (Brownie had casually called this her _‘manic way of venting’_ , to which Reylen couldn’t help but agree with).

Black Tea had also told Sanma to be the team leader this time, to which Sanma quietly agreed. He was up in front, slashing multiple times with his katana, his gaze steeled. Even his one black and white kitty counterpart was helping him out by scratching at the chest ever so often. He was also remarkable at dodging the incoming attacks that his other Food Soul teammates threw at the chest.

Reylen, at the back of the group, was feeling more and more relief wash over him as he saw steam fizzling from the top of the chest, a sign that they were almost done.

“Master Attendant! Go ahead!” Sanma shouted from amidst the battle din.

“Got it!!”

He brought his hand out, concentrating as red sparks flew from his palms. From behind the chest, a red light formed in the shape of a hand, holding a torch. With one sweep of his hand, Reylen controlled the hand to light the chest aflame.

The chest gave a roar as flames licked its sides. Coffee and Brownie both stepped aside so Sanma could take it down with a final blow. His cat jumped onto his shoulder, meowing, as if confirming it was the best time to strike.

He exhaled and then, like the wind, had appeared from behind the chest, slashing multiple times before flash-stepping back to his original spot. It did the trick.

Reylen, Crepe and even Brownie, gave a cheer as the chest’s lid finally popped open, steam from its ‘jaws’ still letting out steam. They did it. They finally did it!!

Sanma turned towards Reylen, giving a tender smile as he sheathed his katana. Reylen couldn’t stop himself as he ran over to hug the silver-haired Food Soul.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! We had so much trouble with this thing, I’m so glad you’re with us! You’re great, Sanma! Thank you!” Reylen couldn’t care less if he was rambling.

But it sure warmed his heart when Sanma gently squeezed Reylen back, replying, “And I’m glad to be here with you, Master Attendant.”

 

\--

Black Tea was scribbling notes on a fancy black notebook. Coffee had leaned over, to which the dark haired Food Soul had shoved him aside. He snickered, going back to loop an arm around Reylen’s shoulders.

“Nothing raunchy on those pages?” His eyes were glittering with mischief.

“Oh do shove off,” she responded with a chuckle. “I’m writing about our methods for taking down that chest.”

“Do you mind if I ask for your help if we run into chests in the future?” Reylen asked Sanma, who was walking alongside a humming Crepe. He gave a small nod, while the cat in his arms gave a meow in agreement as well.

“So now that we’ve got that path cleared for a bit, you guys want dinner?” Reylen asked the group of Food Souls that were ahead of him. They did score a bunch of gold with that chest, along with a couple of Food Soul shards. He could save up for later...but spoiling his Food Souls always came first.

But it seemed as though his Food Souls were turning that task around on him.

“Dinner? I’d rather cook dinner for you, Master Attendant!” Brownie said confidently.

“Oh yes! Why go out when we’ve got some divine cooks at home!” Crepe interjected, fanning herself contently.

“Yes, we did learn how to make this exquisite batch of red bean pudding the other day. Master Attendant, we should have that for dessert…” Black Tea expressed a small hint of excitement as she pocketed the book away in the folds of her dress.

“I’d like to help with dinner as well,” Sanma volunteered. Reylen gave a small smile, as Coffee squeezed his shoulder.

“Guess we’ll just stay in for dinner, huh?” his partner said, grinning.

“I don’t mind that. Home cooking’s best anyway,” Reylen answered back.

 

\--

_Cake Walk_

 

After a quick bath, Reylen had settled into the thick folds of his bedcovers, humming in content. He gave a small shout of surprise when Coffee had jumped on the other side of the bed.

“D-Don’t surprise me like that!”

Coffee laughed, placing his shades on the bedside table “Sorry, love. You just looked so peaceful, I wanted to, y’know, wreck the peace and all.”

“Sly dog.”

Reylen leaned over to plant some kisses on Coffee’s locks and his forehead, to which Coffee brushed a few stray hairs from Reylen’s face.

“So glad that you feel better after our last journey out.”

“I sure am,” Reylen sighed happily.  “I’m really glad I summoned and had some time to think of something to do for that situation.”

“Mm. You were worried for a time, weren’t you?”

“Yeah. I really thought that we weren’t strong enough to take it down…”

The taller male slung an arm around Reylen, pulling him closer against his chest. Reylen could smell the fresh soap he had used alongside faint traces of bittersweet coffee. It was a strange yet calming duo that Reylen was comforted with. Coffee’s voice was a lull against Reylen’s ear. “Love, you need to understand. We’ll get through whatever is in our way. We have you, after all. We’re growing alongside you.”

Reylen felt Coffee’s lips press into his hair. “I’m glad to be growing alongside you.” The slate haired man felt his face burn and he hid his face in Coffee’s chest. He felt Coffee’s entire body rumble with small chuckles.

“I-I’m glad too,” he mumbled.

“And you’ll keep making our happy family bigger by summoning more, huh?” Coffee whispered.

“Yeah of course. A whole bunch more. It’s one of my dreams to be friends with a lot of Food Souls,” Reylen admitted.

“And as I’ve mentioned before, that’s adorable. You sound like an expectant mother waiting for her kids to arrive.”

Reylen felt himself sputter. “B-But I’m not…?”

Coffee laughed. “I’ll keep calling you my husband to be, how’s that?”

“Nooo, come on, that’s embarrassing to hear…”

“Then say it to me, it’ll be just as embarrassing…!”

Another day at the Sweet Leaf came to a close, and Reylen was more than happy to take on the next day, so as long as Coffee and the other Food Souls he had befriended so far were willing to stay by his side.

Together, they can do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we all have that Light Kingdom Chest horror story, and whoever got past it without sanma's help, you're a beast in my book.
> 
> We have made it to the end of the first part of Cooked with Love!!!!! 
> 
> It was a long time running! I started this fic back last August and I didn't expect to get this far and even more with the amazing responses this fic has brought upon! I'm truly grateful for everyone who has read this fic. It was my first time manning such a huge fic and I'll admit. There's mistakes. There's character canon I may have missed or mistook. But I also did what any writer should and just, I dunno, wrote?
> 
> If you were here from the beginning, thank you. If you have just started reading this from a certain chap and have gotten to the end of this, thank you. If you're reading this after I have completed this fic, thank you. You guys truly inspired me to keep going. 
> 
> (But Kiwi! What about the other Food Souls we have yet to see? Where is (X) and (Y) and (My Fave FS here!))
> 
> I DID say this was the first part! I am going to dish out (haha, my fave pun) a second part real soon! I haven't forgotten about the fact that I've got like, 80+ FS to write about. Gods, we could be looking at a third part if even....But again, this was written purely out of my own interest. I just wanted to write a batch of stories about these Food Souls I've come to love so dearly. This was the culmination of an imagination that I wanted to share with you all.
> 
> And I do hope I was able to help you love and appreciate certain FS with this fic as well c':
> 
> I can be reached at my twitter (@kiwikakumei) if you want updates, both fic and life wise! I'm also more vocal about my FS dedication there (some more pandering than most lmao).
> 
> Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first time writing a big thing, please excuse the mass amount of mistakes that may be in this. I really love this game to pieces and I wanted to make a bunch of snippets of all the Food Souls I've gathered. 
> 
> Btw! My UID is 237747! I'm under Reylen Sharpe hehe. Let's be good cooking friends.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Master's Journey](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17457200) by [Katnumn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katnumn/pseuds/Katnumn)




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